Shifting Roads
by Kawabunga
Summary: Roxas and Sora are attending their first year at Destiny High. With fiery read heads and stirring emotions, how will they cope? AkuRoku main, RikuSora, Cleon and Zemyx
1. Chapter 1

**Warning****s**: This story contains yaoi! Which means boy x boy, so if you don't approve of yaoi please, DO NOT READ!

I've wanted to write a fanfic for a while, but couldn't get myself into it before now. Please don't go down on me too hard.

This is my first fanfic in English (which is not my native tongue). Still I hope you enjoy it, despise of all the grammar and spelling errors!

**Disclaimer**: The characters do NOT belong to me, unfortunately….

**Shifting Roads**

_**Chapter One**_

"_Of mornings and Parrots"_

Roxas let out a heavy groan as his bedroom door was flung open, followed by a shuffle of feet, a weight shift on his bed and a chirpy voice that announced happily only inches from his ear;

"School's in forty minutes! You better get up, or you'll miss the bus!"

Before he could even react, his covers were brutally pulled away from him, and he flinched as he felt the cold air come to contact with his bare skin. His bedroom window had been open all night, and therefore, the room wasn't exactly steaming.

"Sora!" Roxas growled angrily and tried to aim a kick at his twin, but missed.

Sora, however, didn't seem to mind his little outburst, and kept on talking in a very Sora-like matter. His big, azure eyes sparkling at his twin with every word.

"You know Roxy, this is the first day of school, so we better not be late! I've heard that the professors at Destiny High are far stricter than the ones at Bailey! Riku says that once he got a-"

"Okay! I get it!" The blonde snarled as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. Pushing Sora away, he groggily got to his feet and moved for the door.

"I'll just take a quick shower, and I'll be down in a minute!"

"Okay, great!"

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Fifteen minutes later, dressed in gray cargo pants and his favourite black and white-checkered T-shirt, Roxas entered the kitchen where Sora was currently stuffing his mouth full of something that, in Roxas' opinion looked rather suspiciously, not to mention disgusting. Ha was so lost in the process of eating that he barely noticed Roxas. Bright blue eyes only sweeping him for a moment, and then they settled back to the mass of… uh… mush?

Sora was wearing his usual baggy clothing, the keychain visible beneath the black and red shirt.

Roxas decided he didn't really want to know what Sora was eating, so he just focused on breathing in through is mouth as he moved past his brown haired twin.

He grabbed a bowl from the dishwasher, not really caring if it was clean or not, and a box of cereal from the top of the fridge.

"Aghegt yugh egfhigheg?" Sora asked trough a mouthful of whatever that icky substance on his plate was.

The blonde raised a questioning eyebrow, and tried to ignore the small bits of goo that came flying at him and landed only centimetres from his cereal.

Sora chewed like a maniac and nearly choked on his food in the process of swallowing.

"Aren't you excited?" He asked again. A bit more understandable this time.

Roxas didn't bother to answer. He just shrugged in none-caring way and proceeded eating his breakfast.

He didn't really know if he was exited or not. After all, it was only high school. Not college or something.

Roxas never quite understood why starting high school was such a big deal. At least he wasn't planning on making such a fuss about it.

Sure, he wondered what it would be like and all, changing school, making new friends, take new courses and everything, but it most certainly wasn't enough to affect him all that much!

Sora on the other hand, had been talking about high school all summer. He was determined on making this the "year of his life", and kept on talking about new beginnings and things like that.

Typical Sora.

The brown haired teen was so outgoing. He always seemed to lose himself a hundred percent in whatever it was that he was doing.

Not like Roxas, who despite his rather flamboyant personality didn't give a damn about anything.

Well, there where _some things _he cared about. Like for example his beloved _Wildlife Collection_, which had received the place of honour on the top of his bookshelf. Roxas was indeed interested in wildlife and nature. It was actually one of the few things he would call himself rather fond of. And without bragging, say he was pretty good at. He had always been like that he supposed, ever since he was a kid.

He remembered how he used to drag Sora along to the Pet Shop to look at the animals when they where small.

He had made nicknames to all of them, and especially he had loved this red parrot that always started to whistle very loud when he entered the store. The lady behind the counter had told him that parrots could live for many, many years and that they could learn to say a whole loads of different phrases.

Roxas had been trying to get the bird to say his name, but never really succeeded in that, yet he still tried every time he went there.

One day however, he had come to the store, only to find that the bird's cage was empty, and the employee informed him that someone had bought it the other day.

Roxas had been sulking for a week.

Another thing that Roxas cared deeply about was the art of photographing. He simply adored taking pictures with his camera, a Nikon D3, which he was rather proud of. Sora had gotten it to him for their fifteenth birthday. Roxas had almost cried from happiness, and had felt a bit guilty at the same time, seeing as all he got Sora was this impersonal necklace, symbolising a keychain. Sora however, claimed he loved it, and now he never took it off, except from when he showered.

That was the thing about his twin. He always knew what people desired most, and was never angry or disappointed if he didn't get the same treat. In fact, Sora rarely got angry at all. He always appeared to be this big bunch of smiles, and the moment he walked into a room, everyone inside lit up. Sometimes Roxas could've sworn he saw this shimmering light, wavering around his twin, like an aura or something.

Unlike Roxas, who sometimes felt like the only ting wavering in his presence was a black, pouring cloud above his head.

Nope, he and Sora was nothing like one another when it came to personalities.

Sora was probably the most hyperactive teen in town, always talking and full of energy.

It was like the spiked haired boy had no worries in the world, and he met every situation with a smile.

Roxas was moody, silent and embedded. And quite frankly, sometimes he even considered himself the slightest bit emo. (Except from the whole black-hair-and-dark-eye-shadow sort of thing, obviously.)

In other words, he was nothing like Sora.

Speaking of whom was at the present time snapping his fingers in front of Roxas' face, trying to get his attention.

"Spacing out at the first day of school, are we Roxy?" He said in a voice that was probably supposed to sound stern, but that did not full fill its purpose at all.

Roxas just snarled at him, fighting the urge to throw his spoon at his twin. He really wasn't a morning person.

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Later that morning, when he and Sora stepped through the big, double doors of Destiny High, Roxas started to reconsider the whole not-caring about high school thing.

The entrance hall was filled with students. Some where standing in larger groups, while others where simply scattered around, either alone, in pair, or in small gatherings.

Roxas had never in his life seen so many youths in one place at one time, and he somehow felt as if all eyes were glued to him as he and Sora walked among the hordes of people. _Of course, that's only imagination_, he told himself, but still, he didn't feel the slightest calm.

He could easily pick out the popular ones. They were standing in the middle of the hall, all of them at least five inches taller than himself, not to speak of far more good looking.

He suddenly spotted Tidus, their childhood neighbour, in the middle of the crowd, waving his arms in a way that probably was supposed to resemblance him playing blitz ball. Roxas should've known Tidus was one of the popular kids. Ever since youth, the blonde had had this remarkable talent for the popular game. Otherwise Tidus was kind of a goof. A nice goof, but a goof none the less.

He also saw Seifer Almasy, the guy that used to bully everyone around in middle school, stealing their lunches and notes. Just when Roxas looked at him, Seifer caught his gaze and grinned evilly as he sent a rather ugly hand gesture Roxas' way. Roxas, who concluded that Seifer hadn't really changed, quickly turned his head and looked elsewhere.

His eyes fell on a blond boy with a mullet who was running excitedly after a boy with lilac hair covering the right half of his face, tugging at his sleeve while he was blabbering extremely loud about something Roxas assumed had to do with music, seeing as he kept uttering the words "refrain" and "g-minor". He also had a big guitar case strapped to his back.

The lilac haired guy did not seem to care about the other boy's chattering. He just kept walking, not raising as much as an eyebrow in cognition. However, the musician didn't seem to mind, as he kept on gabbing in total lack of pauses between his sentences.

Somehow, he reminded Roxas of Sora.

He made a quick side glance at his twin, who was walking bouncily beside him.

The brunet looked totally content, as if starting high school was something he did every day.

_Typical Sora_, Roxas though for the second time that morning.

As they continued walking, Roxas took the opportunity to look around.

The building was as far as he could see, big.

There were a well of doors everywhere, and stairs that from what he understood lead to the upper floors.

The white marble floor shone like a mirror. Not a spot was in sight.

The roof was so high, his neck made a creepy cracking sound when he bent his head far back to look at it.

For some reason, he couldn't quite shake this odd "airport" feeling off himself.

In the middle of the entrance hall, it was a reception counter, almost the size of their garage, conducted by a short, blonde girl, who continuously popped her gum.

She looked bored, as if there was nothing special about a bunch of newcomers attending their first day at high school.

Roxas was about to ask Sora if he had seen any bathrooms yet, seeing as he really felt the urge to drown himself in cold water, when a sudden movement to his right made him jump. A blurry mass of blue and silver flew past him, making his blond locks flicker in the trail of wind that followed. He heard Sora yelp and when he turned to look at his twin, he saw nothing. The spot Sora had been standing in earlier was now empty.

However, before he found the time to contemplate what just happened, he heard a squeal from below, that made him lower his gaze.

Sora was currently being straddled by a boy with silver, shoulder length hair and mischievous, aquamarine eyes.

Riku.

Riku was Sora's best friend, and it was common knowledge that the two of them were inseparable. Sora had known Riku since the age of three, and not a day went by without the two of them hanging out or speaking on the phone.

Riku, who was a year older, had already attended Destiny High for a whole semester, and he had promised Sora to make it his own personal duty to help him and Roxas fit in.

"Riku!" Sora whined and tried to push the older boy off, a small tinge of red covering his cheeks.

Said teen just laughed and shifted his weight, so the brunet was pressed harder down to the marble floor.

"Aren't you at least a tiny bit happy to see me, Sora?"

He made a kicked-puppy look and flashed his eyelashes in a way that made him look very out of character.

Sora just snorted.

"I see you every day Ri-Ri!"

Riku pretended to get hurt and pushed Sora down once more as he proceeded getting up.

When he was standing securely on his feet, he extended a hand to the blue eyed boy, who was stilled sprawled out on the floor.

Sora, who was now wearing his trademark pout, took it, and the instant he did, he was abruptly pulled to his feet, chest colliding with Riku's, his nose nearly brushing the other boy's chin. Riku's eyes widened slightly as a short gasp of surprise escaped the smaller teen that was currently cuddled up against his thorax.

There was a moment of utter silence, followed by a weird, squeaking sound that Roxas found came from Sora, and then both boys turned away, cheeks flushing brightly.

Roxas tried to stop the snigger erupting from his throat, but didn't really succeed in anything but choking on his breath.

_So much for __my image._

Sora, whom was now as red as a tomato suffering from a threatening sun burn attack, caught his laugh and gave him a good shove in the shoulder.

He felt himself losing balance and mercilessly descending towards the same floor his twin was all over moments ago.

Yet, he never really hit the blank surface. His back crashed into something semi-soft and he just sort of bounced back into a standing position.

"Whoa! I know I'm irresistible and all, but no one's ever fallen for me that fast!"

Roxas turned to see the bearer of that melodious voice, and once he did, his jaws went slack and his mouth fell open.

To be continued…

**A/N:** **Sorry for this short and boring chapter, and SORRY ten times more for all the spelling errors!! Please keep in mind, this is not my native language, and that I've never written a fanfic before! I would REALLY appreciate reviews, and please let me know what's wrong! I know I can improve a lot and everyone that can help me do that will get a mind-blowing mental hug!!! **

**Love you all 3**

**Ps.! I do not attend to an English/American High School, so I wouldn't know exactly how that would be… I'll use my knowledge from my own high school in Norway) Hope that's ok? **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****Chapter two's up! Hope you all enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters…**

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**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter two_

"_The Admirer"_

"_Whoa! I know I'm irresistible and all, but no one's ever fallen for me that fast!" _

It was as if that voice triggered something inside of him, and Roxas spun around so fast he could've sworn he heard his neck snap.  
When he found the source of his curiosity, his mind went blank and his eyes shot open with an extreme force.

The person standing before him was probably the most fascinating creature Roxas had ever seen in his entire life!

Flaming red hair, styled in a spiky way framed a face that was beyond captivating. Emerald green eyes, emphasized by two black tattoos shaped like triangular teardrops just below them, sparkled with laughter. Strands of fire that had escaped the otherwise perfect hairstyle gently brushed high cheek bones, adding a flash of colour to the otherwise pale surface.

A catlike smirk rested on a pair of seductive lips, shimmering slightly with saliva.

Roxas eyes moved from the teens face and took in the tall, lean figure.

One hand resting on a slim hip, the other one attached to the hem of a yellow school-bag that hung lazily over a somewhat bony shoulder. The green t-shirt that matched the red head's eyes perfectly, seemed a bit tight over the chest, and was not quite covering sharp hip bones.

Long, lanky legs, wrapped in a pair of tight black pants, made the picture flawless.

He could not help it. Just by looking at this guy, his heart beat faster, his palms grew sweaty and his face burned like an inferno of flames.

_Oh my God!_

_Who is this guy?!_

The blonde felt as if his guts were boiling and he was sure that his brain had partially melted.

He couldn't quite place the feeling he got by watching the red head, but it was not an overstatement to say that he was inflamed by him.

There was just something so, so _fascinating, _about this guy.

Roxas had to struggle not to blush as those glimmering, green orbs settled at him, and that predatory smirk grew bigger, revealing a row of pearly, white teeth.

To escape the intense stare, he let his gaze shift, and tried to settle them somewhere safer.

His eyes landed on a frail, blonde girl, who was sitting alone, back against the wall next to the reception. Her knees were drawn to her chest, pale arms clutching them tightly. Her skin was strangely see-through, giving her a somehow ethereal appearance. The look on her face was one of trepidation. To Roxas it seemed almost frightened. Her big, deep-blue eyes were staring in to nothingness, and her thin brows were slightly furrowed. Somehow, Roxas felt he could easily relate to her.

"But what is this?" came that melodious voice again, making the blonde jump. He had nearly forgotten about his pressuring situation, as he was lost in watching the girl by the reception.

As he was currently having major problems keeping his face blank, he could feel the other boy's eyes gliding over him. It was as if his gaze left traces of fire on his body.

The melodic voice chuckled.

"My little admirer's afraid of me? Or is there another reason why he looks like he's just been confronted with a ghost?"

_Wait, what?! _

_Admirer? _

The words came out of his mouth before he could even stop them.

"I'm not afraid of you!" he snarled at the lanky teen hovering over him. As soon as he'd said it, his blood rushed to his face, and he felt as if it was pumping in small fountains out of his ears.

For a moment, the red head looked surprised, but he quickly changed his expression and a wide grin spread across his features.

"Looks like I've got myself a rather fiery one!" He laughed, running a hand through his hair.

Roxas just glared at him.

The red head looked like he was about to say something more, but Riku interrupted him.

He stepped away from Sora, whom was still carrying a fairly flaming colour and refused to look the silver haired teen's way. Both of them clearly still affected by their little nose-brushing-incident happening just moments before the lanky red head strode in.

"That's enough Axel! Stop being such an idiot and at least _act_ as if you've got some dignity!"

"Axel" just grimaced and stuck his tongue out at him.

"And how about you Mr. Arrogant? Where did your dignity go this morning? Left it at home? Or is it perhaps hidden behind that smashing blush of yours?"

Now, it was Riku's time to grimace. For a moment, his mouth opened and closed in a way that made a brilliant imitation of a fish gasping for air, then he clenches his jaws and gritted something behind closed teeth. The look in his eyes made Roxas picture a beaten Axel lying in a pool of fresh blood on the white marble floor.

The red head on the other hand, looked rather pleased with himself.

"You guys!" Sora exclaimed from his spot next to Riku. "Let's not pick a fight the first day of school!"

Another thing that was typical Sora, Roxas thought. He never saw the difference between an innocent exchange of insults and a real fight. He hated it when people argued, or when anyone got angry or sad.

His twin was always being nice to everyone, and insulting someone just for the fun of it was something he would probably never do himself or find amusing.

Axel rolled his eyes and snorted, while Riku's expression softened as he put an arm around his best friend's shoulder.

"Relax Sora. No one is picking a fight, we were just joking." He ruffled the brunet's gravity-defying spikes with his free hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

Sora just pouted and swatted his hand away.

Roxas fought the urge to roll his eyes as he watched the two of them. They were always so nice to each other. Well, Sora was nice to everyone, but Riku…

Riku was known to be pretty arrogant and cocky, and he never let the chance of smarting someone out pass. He would always brag about the things he knew better than you, and Roxas had often gotten fairly irritated by his dripping sarcasm. The silver haired teen could be annoying as hell sometimes, but not to his brother.

When it came to Sora, Riku was simply a different person. Sure he loved to play with the brunet, making him embarrassed or slightly frustrated, but at the same time, he was strangely soft and tender. He never drove the joke far enough to actually upset Sora.

"Aw, isn't that just too cute?"

Axel was clearly thinking in the same tracks as Roxas. He smirked sarcastically and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You just wanna cover them with whipped cream, dip them in chocolate sauce and eat them!"

The glare Riku sent Axel was enough to currently shut the other boy up. You did not want to deal with an angry Riku in the morning. Especially not when he was wearing the If-you-as-much-as-breathe-too-loud-right-now-I'll-rip-up-your-guts-and-slice-you-into-pieces look.

Clearly, Axel knew this, judging by the way his expression changed from devilish to utter angelic in no time.

Roxas tried to hold back the amused smile that threatened to break its way to his lips. He did not accomplish that mission however, as a soft chuckle escaped him.

Axel turned to him and raised a mischievous eyebrow.

The blonde quickly looked away and ended up staring at his shoes. He kept his gaze there, as if there was something extremely interesting about an old pair of black converse.

He could feel Axel's eyes on him, the emerald gaze sending small jolts of fire down his spine.

Suddenly, a loud ringing sound was heard, echoing trough the corridors.

Sora, whom was still attached to his best friend jumped and nearly hit Riku in the face in the process.

"We got to go!" He cried at Roxas, flailing his arms like a total maniac. "What's you're first class?!"

"History." Roxas replied. He had carefully memorized his schedule, unlike Sora who was at the moment seeking through the depths of his rug sack after his own, making crumpled papers, pencils and rubber gum rain all over the place. Once he found it, he glanced it over, and a pout formed on his lips.

"I've got English!" He exclaimed in a sorrowful manner. "Why can't we have the same classes?"

Roxas just shrugged. He and Sora used to have the exactly same schedule at the Bailey, so it was probably weird for his twin not to accompany him for class.

To Roxas, the deal really wasn't that big. He saw Sora everyday at home anyway, and if he was to be totally honest, that was pretty much enough.

Roxas loved his brother, but the chirpy teen was always so...well...chirpy. Roxas in fact enjoyed a bit of silence sometimes, which was quite hard to achieve being with Sora.

"Well, if you're having English, Sora, you better get going." Riku said, nudging the brunet's shoulder. "The English teacher, Mr. Leonheart, is not someone you would want to get on the bad side of. He is probably the scariest teacher I've ever met! Except Mr. Valentine perhaps, but he's the headmaster so he doesn't really count."

Sora paled visibly, quickly gathered his things and slung his back pack over his left shoulder.

He waved frantically at the group, pointed at Roxas and told him to meet him out front after school, and strode off. On his way down the hall, he bumped into a guy twice his size and even from their distance, Riku, Axel and Roxas could see the crushing blush he mustered before he stuttered an apology and fled.

Axel laughed. So did Roxas, only not so loud. Riku just smiled and dug his hands in his pockets, aqua eyes following the bouncing figure.

"Well," Axel broke the silence, "we need to get going Ri, or that Lockhart bitch is gonna have a fit!"

Riku removed his eyes from Sora, and grinned widely at the red head. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"You bet I would! She's like a friggin' porn star! Seen the magnitude of those boobs?!"

Roxas, who didn't get the meaning behind their words, was about to tell them goodbye and go to class, when a soft voice spoke up behind him.

"Excuse me?"

He turned, and was left facing two breathtakingly blue eyes. He immediately recognized them as the eyes of the frail, blonde girl he was watching earlier. She looked a bit nervous, but a small smile was visible on her thin lips.

"Yes?" he replied gently, as if he was afraid the volume of his voice would scare her away.

She blushed slightly.

"I… uhm… I couldn't help overhear what you just said. About you having History that is."

"Mhm?" He encouraged her to go on.

"Well, I do to, and uh, I was just wondering if maybe we could go there together?" She looked at her feet, blushing harder.

Blonde hair fell in her eyes and she softly brushed it away with a pale hand. Her soft gesture made him think of flower petals blowing swiftly in the spring breeze.

Roxas thought she looked absolute adorable, and the blonde was not able to stop a smile from shaping.

"Sure." he nodded and smiled fully at her.

Her face lit up and she extended him her hand.

"I'm Naminé."

He took it and squeezed it carefully. "It's nice to meet you Naminé."

She looked questionably at him.

Oh.

_Great! He'd forgotten to say his name! _

He could feel his face heating up, and cursed his body for betraying him like that. He made a small, embarrassed laugh and continued.

"I'm Roxas."

"WHAT?!"

Both Roxas and Naminé turned to the source of the sound.

Axel was standing with his mouth wide open, a look of complete chock on his face. For a moment, he seemed frozen, then his arm shot out and he pointed a finger at Roxas with such force Roxas was surprised his arm didn't jump out of joint.

"_You're _Roxas?!"

To be continued…

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A/N: Thank you so much to my wonderful beta Taiki Kou 3 3 You are the best!!


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: This story contains boyxboy actions, YAOI, so if you don't approve of that, then do not read!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters! Which is a shame...

This chapter was really fun to write, and once again I have to thank my beta, Taki Kou! You make my day! Hope you all enjoy!

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**Shifting Roads **

**_Chapter Three_**

_"Chilly Headmasters and Butterfly-Attacks"_

Roxas stared at the red head in front of him. Axel looked as if he had just been struck by lightning, mouth open and eyes unbelievably big. His index finger was still pointing at the blonde, his arm shaking slightly from the effort of holding it out for so long. His frozen position made him look like a rather surrealistic statue, and if it hadn't been for the moving arm, he would've made a perfect imitation of a dummy.

"You're Roxas?" He repeated again. Much weaker now, like he was somehow drained with power.

Roxas didn't know what to think, and he most certainly did not have a clue about what it was with his name that had gotten the fiery teen so upset. He could not possibly understand why it would cause such a tumult. As far as he knew, he did not have a reputation, except maybe that he was the twin of Sora, who, on the other hand, had plenty of them.

Most of them good ones though.

Therefore, he only replied Axel by nodding weakly.

There was pause and apparently Axel was thinking, judging by the way he was furrowing his eyebrows. Roxas could almost imagine the sound of wheels creaking inside his head.

When he at last opened his mouth to say something, the blonde was almost dying out of curiosity, but before the got the chance to speak, a loud gasp somewhere to Roxas' right stopped him.

Suddenly it was as if the entire entrance hall darkened. All sound of voices faded and Roxas could swear some sort of weird chill, that erupted out of nowhere surrounded them. He peered around the place trying to locate the source of the imaginary chill, and when he found it, he wanted to gasp himself.

From the other side of the hall, came the spookiest man Roxas had ever seen his entire life! He was striding straight towards their little group. Long, black hair was billowing slightly in a non-existent wind, a red, tattered cape nearly sweeping the floor. His face was paler than the moon, and in that seemingly dead scenery shone two abnormal, scarlet eyes. No one said anything as the man got closer, even though Roxas was sorely tempted to run away from there, screaming. He stood his grounds however, mostly because he was too afraid to move.

It was not before he was standing right in front of them, that Roxas found his limbs capable of moving. He took a step backwards, and was quickly followed by Naminé, who had been standing beside him. The man's eyes, which had currently been settled on Axel, moved to them and he lifted an eyebrow. The gesture was so small, Roxas was unsure if it was really there, but before he got the chance to contemplate it, the dark haired stranger turned to Axel again and spoke up.

His voice was monotone, showing no emotions at all.

"Mr. Hitijama," he was referring to Axel, "don't you have Physical Education to attend to at this very moment?"

Axel, bearing the colour of a snowman, gulped and made a spastic motion with his head, that Roxas assumed was supposed to symbolize a nod.

The caped man regarded him for a couple of seconds before he continued talking.

"Well, I suggest you leave right now then," it didn't sound much like a suggestion though, more like a threat, "unless you want detention the first day of school that is."

Axel seemed to catch the lurking threat and without another word, he grabbed Riku by the collar and strode past Roxas.

The moment their shoulders brushed, a shockwave shot through the blonde, and he could feel his stomach flutter unpleasantly. He tried to keep his gaze from following the red haired teen, a mission that he would have been failing, if it hadn't been for the fact that some one was clearing their throat nearby. Said someone being the personification of his childhood nightmares.

He stood completely still for a couple of seconds, not knowing whether or not the sound was addressed to him. When Naminé gave him a light puff in the shoulder, he concluded it probably was.

And correctly enough, when he looked up, piercing red orbs was resting calmly at him.

Once again, Roxas felt this disturbing urge to flee, but he remained in his current position.

"Mr. Kitamura," Scarlet eyes darted from Roxas to Naminé, "and Miss Higashi."

_How does he know my name?_

Roxas did not recall the man, and surely he would have remembered someone like him. He was not exactly an everyday sight.

Neither Roxas nor Naminé replied, both of them waiting to see if the caped man was to say something more. Roxas could sense Naminé scooting an inch closer, and he fought the need to cuddle up against her. This man was really intimidating.

"Mr. Kitamura, I was actually hoping to see you today."

Roxas swallowed. He did not know if he was supposed to feel alarmed now, but he sure as hell did. This creepy, Dracula-reincarnation knew his name and wanted to see him for some reason only the gods knew. Actually, he was more than alarmed, he was pretty damn scared. What did this guy want with him?

As if the demon-like man had read his thoughts -which really didn't seem too unlikely- he answered the boy's unspoken question.

"I know your brother."

_Sora? _

Roxas found it enormously hard to believe that this man under any circumstances knew his hyper-active twin. That would be too weird!

"No, Mr. Kitamura, not Sora."

_Man, does this guy know everything? What is he, God or someone? _

No.

God definitely wasn't the first omnipotent person that came to his mind when looking at the scarlet eyed man. Rather his opposite.

"Your half-brother, Cloud."

_Oh, so he knew Cloud?_

That seemed more likely.

Cloud was his mother's first born child. She had only been eighteen when se got him. Therefore, Cloud was ten years older than the twins and lived in his own apartment in Twilight Town. Despite that, he often came to visit, seeing as it was only a ten minute drive and a short ferry ride over to Destiny Islands.

His blonde brother had always been calm and collected, not to say silent.

He and Sora used to tease him for being so out of words, calling him an emo and a sulker, although they knew Cloud was just like that. Quiet and shy.

Anyway, it made much more sense that Mr. Dracula there knew Cloud and not Sora.

Cloud was known for having loads of weird friends. Especially Roxas remembered this one young lady, Yuffie Kisaragi, who was probably even more hyper than Sora and continuously claimed to be The Greatest Ninja Ever. She was actually pretty good, judging by the kick she accidentally aimed at him once. His bruise had been the size of a football and had lasted for weeks.

"Oh…" was all Roxas replied.

"I was hoping you would give him this." A pale hand, holding a sealed letter, was extended to him, encouraging him to take it.

"What is that?" Roxas asked without thinking. When his brain caught up with the fact that he'd just asked "the Devil in human form" something that was probably none of his business, he turned bright red.

"I- I mean, uh…" he stuttered pathetically, trying to cover it up.

For a split second, Roxas was sure he saw something similar to amusement in the devilish man's eyes, but the next moment it was gone, and they looked just as lifeless as before.

"It's a job offer," Roxas' eyes widened, "I thought he might be interested."

_A job offer? What the hell?_

Roxas tried to suppress the first thing that came to his mind when he thought of what kind of jobs he could possibly associate with the black haired man in front of him. Most of them involved elements he'd rather not contemplate.

"Uh, okay… And from who shall I-"

"Vincent Valentine."

_Valentine…_

"_..Except Mr. Valentine perhaps, but he's the headmaster so he doesn't really count." _

_Oh. My. God._

_This _was his headmaster?!

Roxas was sure he had never felt so close to fainting before, except maybe earlier today, when he first saw Axel.

Axel. Just the thought of that name caused a small tingle in his stomach. He could feel how his cheeks started to burn and he knew his ears were probably flaming red.

_Stop it dammit! _

His headmaster quirked an eyebrow and this time the blonde was sure he saw the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

Roxas blushed harder.

"Anyway, Mr. Kitamura, I would be very pleased if you would give it to him as soon as you can manage, and tell him to contact me when he finds the time."

Roxas was tempted to ask why Mr. Valentine didn't just deliver it himself, but figured he had his reasons. One of them may be that he had a lot of work to do, being headmaster and all.

And quite frankly, he did not dare to ask. He just took the letter being held out to him and carefully put it in his bag.

"Thank you Mr. Kitamura." Roxas just nodded.

"And now, you and Miss Higashi should most likely hurry to your History class."

Ok, now he was seriously getting creepy! Did he, as a headmaster, memorize all the different schedules? Or was he simply all-knowing? Roxas was not going to eliminate that possibility.

"We will Mr. Valentine," came Naminé's soft voice, "thank you for reminding us."

Mr. Valentine regarded her over the collar of his robe and Roxas was surprised to see his expression soften just a little.

"You're welcome, Miss Higashi."

Naminé smiled fondly at him, grabbed Roxas by the elbow, and started leading him towards History class.

"Uh, yeah, thank you Mr. Valentine."

His headmaster's eyes rested at him for a moment, and then he turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction, his red cape once again blowing in his tracks.

Once he'd passed around a corner, Roxas and Naminé turned to look at one another, carrying very similar expressions that said "Wow, he's quite a someone, isn't he?"

Roxas was the first to speak.

"Even though it creeps me out, I'm pretty glad the reason he knew who I was, is that he knows my brother Cloud. I mean, the thought of him being some sort of wicked witch doctor really isn't that out of place?"

Naminé giggled.

"That still doesn't explain how he knew my name!"

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When Roxas and Naminé entered the school cafeteria at lunch time, he was jumped by a very chirpy Sora the moment he stepped inside. His eyes were gleaming with happiness, and his hair seemed somehow spikier than usual, almost electrifying.

"How's your day so far?!"

Roxas shook his twin off and brushed his now wrinkled clothing.

_His day?_

Well, after Roxas had nearly fallen asleep in History class listening to an unbearably long lesson about how he first immigrants came to the Destiny Islands in the History teacher's slow, monotone voice, they had visited the school nurse, Miss Gainsborough, to be lectured about school safety and stuff.

She had also told them the importance of telling if they saw someone being bullied. Roxas thought of Seifer, but something told him that even if he was still acting like a jerk, no one would report it, out of fear from getting their teeth knocked out.

He had spent the majority of his time with Naminé, except from when they had to separate because she had Art class, while he had an hour of Foreign Language.

He'd found that she was a really good artist when he peeked at her little doodles of small animals and flowers during History. She was quiet and reserved most of the time, in a way that reminded Roxas of Cloud, but she was also smart and charming.

"Well, ok, I guess…" He answered Sora, who was rocking back and forth on his tiptoes, waiting for Roxas to reply.

"Great! I knew High School was going to be a blast!"

"Let's hear if you are still under that impression after having Nature Sciences with _me _next!" came Riku's smug voice. Sore turned at him and furrowed his brows.

"You?"

"Yeah, moron, with me. As in Riku, your best friend?" He chuckled.

Sora pouted.

"I'm not a moron!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that!" Axel stepped up beside him and gave him a teasing look. Roxas felt how his heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of the red head.

Sora's pout grew bigger.

Roxas suddenly remembered the reaction he got from Axel earlier when saying his name, and once again this morning, curiosity got the best of him.

"Axel?" He heard how his voice quivered slightly, but chose to ignore it.

The older teen that was currently busy mimicking Sora's pout to annoy him, turned his head and raised both eyebrows questionably at him. Roxas was unsure of how to start. He was freed from this task however, when Axel spoke up before him.

"Roxas! You're Roxas!"

Roxas tried not to think about the fact that he was pointing out the obvious.

"Roxas, as in, _Roxaaaaas, hello Roxaaaaas!_" He said the last phrases in a loud, creaking manner that reminded Roxas of a parrot.

_Wait a minute…_

_A parrot…_

Something clicked in his head. Memories of a little Roxas, sitting on the floor in a pet shop, trying to teach a flaming red parrot to say his name, came crashing to his brain.

"You bought the parrot!" He shrieked. A few head turning his way.

He lowered his voice, nearly hissing at Axel. "You bought the red parrot from the pet shop down at the Beach Promenade!"

Axel had indeed bought the red parrot.

The parrot that never stopped screaming the word "roxas".

Said "word" was genuinely surprised the parrot did that, seeing as he never actually heard the bird say his name the entire time he tried to teach it to.

Axel however, reassured him that the parrot, now carrying the name Blabber, most certainly was capable of saying it.

Axel also invited him and Sora home after school to look at the bird, and to see if maybe it recognized Roxas. Roxas could literally feel the butterflies that seemed to appear in his stomach whenever the red head was around reproducing when they got the invitation. He had been unable to answer because of the sickening feeling of his guts stirring.

Sora, however had happily answered for both them.

Yes.

So, the rest of the day, Roxas found himself walking around with a comprehensive butterfly attack in the middle regions of his body.

The fact that he and Sora had Nature Sciences with Riku and Axel did not make that any better. During the whole lesson, Roxas kept sneaking glances at Axel, whom was sitting beside the blonde, mohawked musician Roxas remembered seeing earlier, running after a lilac haired boy in the entrance hall. He had found the boy's name was Demyx, and that he and Axel were close friends. Roxas remembered his first impression of Demyx, and watching the musician only made that impression stronger.

He was indeed much like Sora.

Demyx tended to use his arm a lot while talking, something Axel was clearly aware of, seeing as the red head always kept a safe distance from the blonde when he was doing that. He waved them around like the world depended on it, and every time he said something, he spoke so fast that you had to make an effort to understand what exactly he was saying.

He had the same sort of chirpyness that Sora was so well known for, except in Demyx's case, this chirpyness was somewhat more hysterical. Although he seemed like a very nice guy, Roxas was sure you'd have to have a big amount of patience to hang out with him a lot. This struck him as a bit odd, seeing that he didn't exactly imagine Axel as the most patient guy ever.

_Gah! _

_Stupid butterflies! _

_Stop molesting me every time I think of Axel!_

Roxas had a feeling this was going to be a rather long day…

…To be continued.

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A/N: Hope this was not to boring! Next chapter will of course take place at Axel's and maybe there will be some actual progress in this story then!! This is not going to be a very short one, but not an extremely long one either! I would REALLY love reviews! They make me so happy! Thank you for reading!!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four is up!

Warnings: This story contains yaoi, so if you don't approve, please do not read!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters! (Except for Blabber of course...)

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**Shifting Roads**

Chapter Four

"_Confusing Messages and Girlfriends"_

When the bell signalling school was over rang, Roxas had to fight an enormous battle against the killer butterflies, which now seemed to have settled permanently in his guts. He was sure he would've fainted, if not for the fact that doing so on the very first day of High School would be not only extremely embarrassing, but a social suicide.

He had spent the last half an hour of Nature Sciences trying to keep his gaze away from Axel, and ignoring the swarming feeling in his stomach. A feeling that really started to annoy him. Actually, it was pissing him off.

As far as Roxas knew, there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to why he should be acting like this. Or, more precisely, the way _his body_ was acting when confronted with the mere thought of the fiery teen. It was tiring.

And knowing he was destined to spend the afternoon with the very source of his current problems, made his nerves all frayed.

So, when he heard Sora's excited voice asking Axel where he lived, he felt the urge to throw up from nervousness.

At the moment, the three teens were walking down the front steps of Destiny High and out in the brilliant summer weather. Students rushed past them on both sides, talking and laughing, happy to be freed from the captivity of the school's stone walls. Riku had just told them goodbye. He was going to try out for the swimming team after school, but had promised to drive by Axel's at his way home, to pick up Sora and Roxas.

"Oh, just a minutes walk from Papoù Heaven." Axel replied to Sora's question.

Papoù Heaven was the only shopping mall at Destiny Islands.

It was a large, glass building, separated in three floors.

Seeing as it was the only mall around, the place was swarming with youths and worked as a meeting spot, where they got together.

"Oh, so you live close to Kairi then? " Sora asked happily.

Kairi was Sora's second best friend, next to Riku of course. She and the two boys used to hang out all the time, and during childhood, Roxas often felt left out from their little threesome.

Sora had tried his best to include him, but Roxas never really felt he fit in with them that well. Besides, he was kind of a loner when he was younger. Much more interested in animals than humans. He remembered locking himself inside his room, reading in his beloved _Wildlife Collection_ while Sora had his friends over for a visit.

"Kairi?" Axel furrowed his brows, his gaze distant, as if he was trying to picture her. "Ah, Riku's girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?!" Sora's eyes shot open, a look similar to one of panic on his face. "Riku doesn't have a girlfriend! And most certainly not Kairi!" He was nearly shouting now.

"Hey, hey! For the love of God, calm down Shortstuff!" Axel backed a few steps away from Sora, holding his palms up in a preventing way, as if he was trying to calm him down. The brunet, however, did not look the least calm. His breath heavy and his face the same color as a radish. For a moment, Roxas thought he was going to start screaming, but after a while, his twin's heart-shaped face lost the angry expression, and a pout took its place.

"I'm sorry," Sora said quietly, "I don't know what got into me."

He looked pleadingly at Axel, his azure orbs full of regret.

No one could stay mad at him when he was bearing that look, and Axel was no exception.

"That's ok, Spikey, we all have our bad days." He grinned. "…And crushes."

Sora's pout disappeared, and was replaced with a look of confusion.

"Crushes? What do you mean crushes?"

Axel smirked, a devilish gleam in his green eyes. "Well..." He snickered. "Maybe you reacted that way because you got jealous?"

Sora's eyes grew big. "Jealous? Of whom?"

The red head rolled his eyes, "Of Riku, dumbass! Because I said Kairi was his girlfriend. Maybe you have a crush on her."

Sora frowned. "I do not have crush on Kairi! She's like-..." he searched for words,

"…like a sister to me!" he laid pressure on the word sister, like he was trying to draw a red line under it.

"And she is not his girlfriend," he stated matter of-factly, even though there was a slight edge in his voice, "they are just friends."

Suddenly his eyes narrowed, a state of awareness grazing his features.

"Why would you say she was his girlfriend though?"

Axel shrugged.

"For one, they spend an awful lot of time together, and second, they just seem to flirt with each other. Why, I thought you didn't care?"

Sora just huffed. "I don't, I was just wondering why you would say that." His emphasis hardened. "And besides, I'm not jealous of any one!"

Axel chuckled and replied jokingly, "whatever you say Shortstuff."

It was followed by a suspicious glare from Sora.

Silence fell between them, as they continued walking. A soft breeze was gently brushing their skin, the warmth of the shimmering sun slowly settling under its surface. The summer had yet to fade, and there were still weeks left of sun basking and lazy days at the beach.

Roxas at once felt very content and dazzled. His eyelids slipped close and a small smile crept its way to his lips.

Suddenly, an arm was placed around his shoulder, and he was tugged close to a warm body.

"Enjoying yourself there, Roxy?" Axel's voice was barely audible, almost a whisper in his ear.

Roxas froze completely, his heart started to pound like crazy. He could feel the red head's warm breath tingle the sensitive skin at his neck, and blood rushed to his face.

He turned his head an inch towards the other boy, and was startled when he was suddenly faced with a pair of eyes, filled with utter amusement and a glint of something Roxas couldn't quite place. A predatory smirk was playing in the corner of his mouth, and the look he was giving the blonde sent shivers down his spine. Once again he thought to himself;

_This is going to be a long day!_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Axel's home lay on top of a little hill. It was a part of an apartment complex just above Papoù Heaven. The complex consisted of a bunch of smaller apartments, looking similar to bungalows, all the doors painted in different colors. Ironically, Axel's apartment was the one with the red door. Roxas did not point it out however, as Axel took out his keys, unlocked the door and lead them through it.

"Make yourselves at home!" Axel announced as he strode inside and flopped down at the sofa.

Sora and Roxas, who had been standing in the living room doorway, gazing around the place and taking in the atmosphere, walked further into the room.

The interior in the apartment was clearly inspired by the whole bungalow-style.

Over all, exotic plants and blossoming flowers were placed in small pots and big, decorated pitchers. The couch was weaved in a colorful fabric, and all the lamps were casting a yellow, warm light. It was slightly messy, but very cozy. In a big bookshelf next to the TV, there were a collection of wooden dolls, reminding Roxas of Indian totem poles. Different shaped plates, with artistic motives were hanging on daggers on the wall, and a big, Persian carpet covered most of the floor. There was a faint smell of cinnamon in the air, which in Roxas' opinion seemed to fit in perfectly.

And… in a golden cage by the porch sat the flaming parrot Roxas so easily remembered.

It had been sitting on a stick in the middle of the cage, slumbering, but when it heard the sound of Axel's voice, it opened its eyes. Amber orbs darted from the red head on the couch, falling on the newcomers.

The bird regarded the two boys for a second, but then it just let out something similar to a sigh, (if birds could sigh, Roxas didn't really know), and turned away.

_Traitor._

Roxas was not aware that he had uttered his thoughts out loud, but the realization hit him as both Sora and Axel started to laugh hysterically.

"You hear that, Blabber? Roxas just called you a traitor!" Axel declared between the fits of laughter. The parrot answered him by nibbling its red feathers.

When Axel and Sora had gotten their breaths back, Axel went to the fridge to get them something to drink. He came back with three cans of soda, and handed the boys one each.

They stood and drank in silence for a moment before Axel fished a pack of cigarettes out from his pockets and lit one. Roxas fascinated watched the red head as those full, sensitive lips wrapped around the white stick, and a trail of smoke went from them to his nostrils. The sight was so captivating, he had to tear his gaze away.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Axel took a deep drag from his cigarette and started making smoke-rings. The grayish rings floated lazily in the air and Sora stuck a finger through one of them, attempting to make it look as he was putting it on. The ring just vanished, leaving Sora to pout.

"We could watch TV or something?" Axel suggested as he left to fetch an ashtray from a cupboard near the kitchen, which was small, visible from the living room, and filled with dried flowers that were hanging from the roof.

"Yeah!" Sora chirped from his spot beside Roxas and bounced off to dump down on the couch.

Roxas hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down next to Sora. The couch was cushy and warm, and he quickly felt comfortable.

Suddenly there was a weight shift, and it occurred to him that Axel seated himself beside him.

Roxas tried not to think about the fact that there was nothing between them but a few inches of air, and focused on the screen instead.

They sat like that for some time, watching some show Sora picked out. Once in a while either Axel or Sora would comment something about whatever it was that they were watching. Something with a girl in a magic bathing suit. Roxas didn't really pay attention, as he was painfully aware of Axel's closeness.

He inwardly cursed the other boy for doing this to him, although to be totally honest, he had to admit it was probably his own damn fault. Nevertheless, it was extremely disturbing having him this close. The leftovers of curse, he handed to Blabber, the reason why he was stuck in such a situation, but then he remembered that it was indeed him who had learned the parrot his name. So, it all came back to him in the end. Still, he wondered with a heavy heart what he'd done to deserve this.

After half an hour or so, the red head yawned, stretched and playfully put an arm around the blonde next to him, pulling him closer for the second time that day.

"Now this is nice?" he said in a joking manner.

Roxas couldn't find his voice, seeing as he was occupied trying not to blush.

Axel smirked and leaned closer.

"Is it hot in here, Roxas?"

The blonde doubted he had ever received a question that could more easily be misunderstood.

He felt as is he was going to go up in flames, and the throbbing feeling of heated blood in his cheeks was almost unbearable.

"N-no." He stuttered, knowing he was probably red as a tomato, and therefore, didn't exactly appear as if he was chilly.

Axel's smirk was only inches away from his face now, and in a slow motion, he closed the distance between them, his mouth brushing Roxas' ear.

"Then why do you look so flustered?" He whispered.

The same time as Roxas let out a yelp of surprise, the doorbell rang, and Blabber began to scream.

"_Roxaaas! Roxaaaaas!_"

Axel let go of him, after teasingly poking him in the ribs, and went to open the door.

He yelled at Blabber to shut up when he walked past, but the red parrot kept screaming Roxas' name. A couple of moments later, a tired looking Riku with semi-wet hair followed Axel inside the living room.

"Hey there," Riku said smiling at the twins.

Roxas, whom was still bright pink, lifted his hand in greeting, but Sora just kept watching the TV. Riku furrowed his brows and looked at the spiked haired brunet.

"Sora?"

Sora just clenched his teeth and glared stubbornly at the TV.

Riku looked confused.

"Sora, what is it?" He asked wavering.

Axel and Roxas exchanged glances, whereas Roxas quickly turned his head away.

Suddenly Sora seemed to notice Riku, but instead of jumping him like he usually did, he just nodded his head politely before turning it back to watch the screen. Like the silver haired teen was someone he didn't really know.

Riku was agape. For a moment, he just stared at Sora, as he didn't believe what he'd just seen, then his face went flushed, and he took a few steps closer to the brunet in the couch.

"What the hell is wrong, Sora?" Riku asked his expression one of utter disbelief.

Sora just shrugged, and kept ignoring him.

That did it for Riku. The aqua-eyed boy marched up to Sora, grabbed the smaller boy by the arm and yanked him up in a standing position.

"Sora! Answer me for fuck's sake!"

The otherwise chirpy teen ripped his arm out of Riku's forcing grasp, his usually happy face glowing with anger. Azure eyes glared at Riku with a vehemence that nearly scared the other boy.

"Don't touch me! " He screamed, whirled around and ran for the door.

Roxas, who had been watching the whole scene, was crestfallen and all he could think was:

_What on earth just happened? _

When he heard the door slam shut with a gigantic bang however, he realized that it was probably about time to go.

"I- uh, I'll go after him," he said to a shocked Riku and a very surprised Axel, "thanks for the soda."

Axel was the first to react. He smiled weakly at Roxas, still affected by what just happened.

"Yeah, any time Sunshine."

Roxas tried not to scowl when he heard the nickname.

As he deserted the room, he could hear Riku's baffled voice:

"_What the fuck was that all about?" _

To be continued…

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**A/N:** I know there's not so much progress in this story right now, but I promise it'll become better! I just want you to get to know them first.. and know them myself! I'm wondering if you want me to increase the rating? Please tell me if you think that would be a good idea! (It won't happen right away of course...) And also, would you like some Zemyx in this story? (Let me know!!)

Thaks very very very much for reviewing! I love that!! And the more reviews I get, the more I want to write, and the chapters come up faster!! Thank you once again Taki Kou, you are still my number one! If you have any suggestions on how to make this story better, please tell me!

Love you all! Hugs you through the screen


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning:** This story contains yaoi! (So, please do not read if you don't approve of that!)

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own any of the characters!!

* * *

**Shifting Roads **

Chapter Five

_"Fear and Denial" _

The spiky haired brunet aimed an angry kick at a bottle lying in the road in front of him. The loud "thump" that followed when the object hit a nearby tree, sounded almost as hollow as he felt inside.

He bit his lower lip, brows furrowing slightly.

_What just happened?_

_Why had he behaved like that?_

_Like an asshole?_

Sora groaned heavily.

His frown deepened.

Riku was his best friend!

Just because of some stupid rumor, which by the way was not even true, he had to start acting like someone who'd got a stick showed up their bum. For something completely ridiculous and untrue.

Or… was that precisely the problem?

That Sora could not actually tell whether it was true or not?

Riku and Kairi?

He had known the two of them forever it seemed, and never once had he pictured them as a couple.

They were simply Kairi and Riku, his best friends.

"Best friends, huh?" He grumbled, half-angry, half-sad.

Weren't best friends supposed to tell each other everything?

Sora huffed angrily and stuffed his hands deeper down his pockets.

Riku was his best friend, and yet, he had never told Sora anything that inclined he and Kairi was some sort of item!

Sure, they hung out a lot, but so did HE and Kairi!

There was a time, he had to admit, when they were younger, that he suspected Riku of having a crush on the auburn haired girl, but that was years ago!

He could not possibly still be feeling all romantic towards her!

Or could he?

Sora increased the biting on his lip, an almost-lost look appearing on his face.

It wasn't that he didn't wish for his best friends to be happy, but the thought of them together made him feel strangely left out.

It had always been the three of them, so, if Riku and Kairi got together all of a sudden, he, Sora, would become less important to both of them, and to their golden trio.

_Wait, stop it! _

What kind of selfish thought was that?

Sora wanted to hit himself for having such thoughts.

What kind of friend was he, if all he could think about was himself, and not the fact that his two best comrades had possibly found happiness in being with each other.

He inwardly cursed his own way of thinking, and for a moment, he considered going back to Axel's and apologizing. He felt bad for leaving Roxas there alone, and the thought of that almost made him turn on his heels and drag himself back there.

Then, he remembered why he had gotten all upset in the first place.

Riku, his best friend, had not told him about him and Kairi.

Sora wanted to cry.

Why hadn't Riku told him? Did he not trust Sora?

Well, the brunet knew he was sort of a blabbermouth some times, but still!

He would never have told anyone about something like that, unless Riku wanted him to!

Perhaps that was it? That Riku did not want anyone to know?

But, for God's sake! He was not just anyone, he was Sora! Sora, whom Riku had known since he could not even speak properly! Sora, the guy that told him everything!

_Sora, his best friend!_

Said best friend could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

They burned behind his eyelids, but he stubbornly forced them back.

He was not about to cry over something so stupid.

If Riku was not about to tell him, Sora most certainly was not about to sulk because of that!

He clenched his fists in his pockets and gritted his teeth.

Yet, he could feel himself loosing the battle, as the salty, wet substance he knew to be tears started to stream down his face.

_God!_ He was acting like such a baby!

What was wrong with him?

_You're jealous…_

"No! I'm not jealous!" He hissed heatedly at the little, annoying voice in his head. "I'm not in love with Kairi!"

_No… perhaps not… _

_And yet… _

_Yet, you're jealous…_

Sora felt his stomach flutter and he had to inhale deeply to stop the shaky feeling in his chest.

The world was suddenly spinning too fast, and his vision started to blur. Suddenly this ice cold suspicion came over him, drenching him in waves of fear.

"Stop!" He cried out loud, "stop saying that!"

His voice was close to desperate, nearly panicking.

The voice fell silent.

And somehow Sora felt betrayed.

* * *

When Roxas found Sora, he had already gotten home. 

The blonde had been walking around for a while, trying to locate him, without luck of course.

He'd gone to some of Sora's favorite places, like the bended palm tree down at the beach and the secret cave. His brother not being in either.

So, when he saw Sora's big, yellow shoes in the hallway, he felt truly relieved.

Roxas had never seen his twin acting the way he did at Axel's house, so he had to admit he'd been pretty concerned.

Whatever it was that was bugging the brunet, it had to be something big.

After saying hello to his mother, -who with an expression that matched exactly how he was feeling, asked if he knew why Sora had locked himself in his room, refusing to eat dinner, to which the blonde replied that he did not know,- Roxas walked up the stairs and hesitantly knocked on Sora's bedroom door.

Nothing but silence was heard from inside the room.

Roxas cleared his throat.

"Sora?"

Still only silence.

The blonde bit his lip and stared at the wooden, oak door. It suddenly seemed so much larger, as if the mere fact that _Sora_ had locked it made it bigger, an obstacle impossible to overcome.

Ha was not used to this.

Usually, he was the one on the other side of that door, and Sora was playing his part.

This was an unfamiliar position, and Roxas did not feel the least comfortable in it.

His brother was normally not like this, and Roxas could not remember the last time Sora had been angry with him, or someone else for that matter.

Clearly, Riku was the object of his frustration right now, something that only alarmed the blonde even more.

Since when was Sora ever mad at Riku?

They were like hand and glove.

And now, it seemed as if the glove was suddenly way too small.

Roxas had already considered tons of possible reasons to Sora's anger towards his best friend, but he couldn't find anything to point out.

The case was, and stayed, it seemed, an undefined mystery.

"Sora?" He tried again, louder this time.

After a while, a weak grunt was heard from inside.

It sounded muffled, like Sora had stuffed something in his mouth.

"Uh," he started, "can- erm, can I come in?"

Yet another minute of silence passed, and then:

"Whatever."

Roxas heard the resignation in his brother's voice.

Like Sora had known Roxas was not about to leave him alone no matter what he did to make him go away.

The blonde slowly opened the door, as if he was somehow afraid the brunet was going to throw something at him.

Sora lay on his bed, head stuffed in his pillow.

His tanned arms were clutching it tightly, his nails digging deeply into the soft, white fabric. His face was hidden, so the blonde was not able to see his expression.

Even so, Roxas still noticed the streaks of dried tears on his cheeks, and he could feel his heart ache.

Sora was not supposed to be unhappy. He did not deserve that. Not Sora, who was always nice to everyone, and never carried a bad thought about a human being.

The blonde found his legs moving of their own accord and in seconds, he was sitting on Sora's bedside, gently stroking the brunet's back.

Small, soothing sounds escaped his mouth, words that were totally meaningless, yet oddly comforting to Sora.

Suddenly, the brunet tilted his head upwards. Big, sapphire orbs, currently glimmering with tears met Roxas' and for the first time in his life, Roxas felt the legendary twin bond they all talked about. The special connection twins were said to have.

For a moment, while looking into those deep, blue oceans, he felt the gnawing sadness, helplessness and actual fear he saw there, as they were his own feelings. The impressions that came to him all of a sudden were so strong, he had to struggle not to tear his gaze away.

Before he could ever contemplate what he was doing, his arms latched themselves around his brother's shoulders, pulling his lithe form against his chest.

Sora's own arms encircled his waist, and a spiky head was buried in the crook of his neck.

The blonde held his twin brother tightly as the herd of shudders traveled violently through his body. He did not pull away when he felt how a warm, wet material soaked his t-shirt, or when the fingers clutching his lower back dug painfully into his skin.

He never once pulled away.

It felt strangely nice actually, being there for Sora. To know he was supporting him during a rough time in his life.

Sora always stuck up for everyone else, so Roxas found it was definitely about time for him to repay his brother's kindness.

When the trembling in Sora's limbs started to slow down and he eventually stopped shaking completely, Roxas pulled away slightly and glanced worriedly at his brother.

Sora's head was currently bowed, his eyes settled on the bed.

Roxas placed a hand under his chin, and forced the brunet's eyes to meet his own.

Sora looked calm now, even though his appearance was everything but chirpy.

"You okay now?" The blonde asked softly, nudging Sora's chin ever so slightly.

Sora nodded his head in silence.

"Good."

Roxas wanted to ask Sora what happened before, but feared the brunet was going to break down again, and therefore, he kept quiet about it.

He just ruffled his spiky hair gently, and flashed his brother a warm smile. One of his hands grabbed Sora's in na encouraging manner.

Sora seemed to be content at the moment, as he smiled shakily in return.

"Thanks." He sniffled quietly, and squeezed Roxas' hand softly.

"I'm okay now… I just… I—"

"No need to explain." Roxas stopped him by holding his free palm up, "Not to me."

His brother suddenly looked uncertain, his azure eyes filled with doubt.

"I should talk to Riku."

Roxas simply nodded. "I think he needs an explanation," he bit his lip before he continued.

"He seemed pretty upset."

Sora closed his eyes for a brief moment, but when he opened them, a look of resolution had found its way to the blue depths.

"You're right," he paused, chewing on his lip,

"I'll talk to him tomorrow then…"

* * *

When Roxas flopped down on his bed several hours later, crawling under the warm sheets, he let out a long, weighty sigh. 

He had only attended High School for one day, and yet, he felt as if that particular day had lasted longer than a week.

After dinner, he had called Cloud, to tell him about the job offer from Mr. Valentine, (whom Roxas in his silent mind now referred to as "Mr. Dracula").

Cloud had gotten surprised at first, but then he'd seemed interested and had promised to come by the next day.

Roxas looked forward to see his older brother again. It had been a while since last time actually.

As he lay silent in the comfy darkness of his room, Roxas thought back to the day's events.

It would not be an overstatement to say that it had in fact been very eventful.

He'd met a load of new people, and had even made a new friend, Naminé.

A smile appeared on his face. He had really come to like the blonde, fragile girl who was such a great artist.

Also, he'd spent time at Axel's. Time that once he thought about it seemed completely gut wrenching and wonderful, both at the same time.

He yawned.

The tiredness that suddenly came over him was extremely overwhelming, and he could feel how his eyelids slipped closed.

Just before he drifted off to sleep, the picture of a set of brilliant green eyes flashed through his mind, and the sight of a now familiar, predatory smirk settled on his retina.

The dreams he had that night were, to speak truthfully, really annoying!

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the reviews!! As you know, they make me happy! 

I'm sorry if this chapter was extremely sappy and such, but it just sort of turned out that way...

However, I'm happy to get your advices and wishes for this story! (Even though I do have something similiar to a plot) snickes

Thank you all of you! Lovelovelovelovelovelove


	6. Chapter 6

**Warnings:** This story contains yaoi!!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters!

* * *

**Shifting Roads **

_Chapter Six_

"_Girls and Babies"_

On his second day of High School, Roxas, followed by a slightly moody Sora, entered the football field for their first class, which was Physical Education. It was here that the blonde received the shock of his lifetime. Or, one of them at least, seeing as there had been quite a lot of them lately.

On the big grass field, dressed in a grey, familiar jogging suit, stood no other than his and Sora's half-brother Cloud!

He was currently talking to the gym teacher, Miss. Lockhart, and the bright, not to mention pretty unusual grin that was spread across his face, gave Roxas the idea that they knew each other. His light, spiky hair glimmered in the faint sunshine, giving him an almost angelic look. Vibrant blue eyes sparkled with amusement, as if Miss. Lockhart had just uttered a really good joke.

_Cloud, happy? What on earth was going on?_

"Cloud!" He heard Sora's surprised cry.

The older blonde turned to face them and when he did, his smile widened and he raised a hand to wave at them.

The twins exchanged looks of confusion and quickly sped up their pace, both nearly running to meet their older brother.

"Cloud—" Sora breathed heavily, trying to catch is breath, "What are you doing here?"

All the grouchiness from earlier was gone from his appearance, and had been replaced with pure bewilderment.

Their older brother just kept smiling and Roxas though he saw something similar to mischievousness in his bright blue depths. Then again, knowing Cloud and his normally cheerless being, that could've just been the light playing tricks on him.

"Your brother is here to observe you and assist me during class today." Came Miss. Lockhart's serene voice. Both teens eyed her with similar looks of puzzlement.

She chuckled and continued,

"Cloud is going to become your new Phys. Ed. professor."

The twins fell agape.

"What?!" They cried in unison.

Then, before either Cloud or Miss. Lockhart got the chance to reply, something fell to place in Roxas mind.

_Oh…_

_The job offer!_

"That's what the Headmaster wanted with you!"

Sora turned to look at him, his brows furrowed, while Cloud just grinned, and at this point, Roxas was sure the playfulness in his eyes was not a hallucination.

"So it was," the blonde replied and winked at him, "I contacted him yesterday after you called and, well, he told me the school is in need of a new teacher in Physical Ed, considering Tifa here, " he referred to Miss Lockhart, "is going to quit."

"You're quitting?" Roxas turned to the dark haired woman.

She smiled gently at him.

"Yes. " She replied simply.

"Well, at least for a while," she continued, "I'm pregnant."

She beamed. A look of utter happiness resonating in her deep, brown eyes.

"Oh," was all Roxas could think of as a reply, "congratulations then."

He did not actually know Miss Lockhart, seeing as the only encounter he'd had with her was in form of Axel's rather vulgar remark about her breasts, -which was not exactly helpful in this situation-, so it was a bit hard to find something else to say.

Even though, when studying them, Roxas had to admit they were fairly big. Her boobs, that was.

Sora on the other hand, did not seem to mind the fact that he did not know Miss. Lockhart.

He let out a thrilled gasp, which in Roxas opinion sounded creepily feminine, and threw his arms to the side.

"That's great!" He nearly shouted. By now, there was nothing left of his former sulky façade. "You're going to have a baby!"

Roxas inwardly raised an eyebrow at that, seeing as since she was pregnant, the fact that she was going to have a baby was rather obvious.

"Really?!" An astonished, girly voice was heard from behind them.

Roxas recognized it before he even turned.

Kairi.

The auburn haired girl regarded Miss. Lockhart with a dumbfounded stare. Her eyebrows were raised high, pretty, indigo eyes presently wide with revelation. She was wearing a light purple t-shirt and tight, yellow sweatpants.

Roxas, who had currently forgotten the fact that they were in the same gym-class, was surprised to see her reaction. It almost seemed as Kairi too, knew Miss. Lockhart.

He glanced at Sora, as if to get some information, but soon noticed that he wasn't about to get any in a short amount of time.

The brunet was occupied with fixing Kairi with a dead stare, his arms now hanging at his sides.

Kairi however, did not seem to notice, as she was still staring at the black haired woman.

"Yes, Kairi," said woman replied softly, "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, the teenage girl looked as if she was going to faint, but then she squealed and ran forward, flinging her arms around the older woman's neck.

"Omigoood!" She cried hysterically, not letting go of Miss. Lockhart.

"Tifa, that's amazing!"

_Tifa?_

_Since when were they ever on first-name basis with their teachers? _

_Or hugging-basis for that matter? _

Miss. Lockhart did not seem to mind however, as she just smiled further, tightening her grip around Kairi, and uttered in a high pitched voice, not so far from Kairi's ;

"I know!"

The two females started giggling and jumping up and down while holding each other's hands.

Cloud started to laugh.

_What?_

_Miss. Lockhart and Kairi act as if they're best friends and all of the sudden Cloud is laughing?_

_Could this day get any weirder?_

Roxas mused, trying to get any kind of meaning out of the current situation.

His trains of thoughts were interrupted by Kairi's exited voice.

"But, when— How, I mean...RENO?!?"

Reno was Kairi's older brother, a rather famous personage at Destiny Islands.

Everyone seemed to be familiar with the flippant red head that just had to play a prank on whoever was in his sight. He was well known for his big mouth and cheeky personality, and if you asked a random person on the street if they knew him, he or she would either laugh their ass of, telling you a noteworthy story involving the red head, or they would just glare at you, murder written all over their face.

Miss. Lockhart only giggled harder as she nodded her head in conformity.

Tears of held back joy and laugher glistened in her eyes.

"Did—Did he not tell you?" She asked, while wiping her tears.

Kairi shook her head, her mouth wide open, giving her a very flabbergasted appearance.

The dark haired woman placed her hands over her mouth, laughing nervously.

"We were planning on letting everyone know a couple of days ago, when we first found out."

Her laugh turned into a snicker, "maybe he has forgotten about it."

They all laughed at this. Knowing Reno, that was not incredibly unlikely.

The whole picture appeared a lot clearer now.

Apparently, Kairi's brother and Miss. Lockhart were dating which explained why the two girls seemed to know each other. Also, Reno was the father to this yet to be born baby.

_Aha._

But,

Roxas frowned. That still didn't explain how Cloud knew his professor.

"How do you two know each other?" He asked without thinking, pointing at the two of them.

The group fell silent for a moment, before Cloud spoke up.

"Actually, we've known each other since kindergarten," he laughed softly, "we used be like peas and butter, but when Tifa went to college in Traverse Town, we sort of lost contact." The two of them exchanged affectionate looks.

"And now, I found her here, four years later, working as a gym-teacher…Which, by the way, really surprises me." He stuck his tongue playfully out at her. "She used to be real sucky in Gym."

He got a smack in the shoulder in response.

Roxas wrinkled his brows.

This whole weirdness was starting to become oddly familiar.

He guessed High School was just like that the first couple of days.

At least he hoped so.

* * *

Six hours later, that had included a lot of sweat on the football field with Cloud, an extremely boring History session, and Math, Roxas, Sora, Kairi and Naminé were walking alongside each other, on their way down the school stairs. 

Kairi was chatting continuously abut Reno and Tifa, letting Naminé in on the news.

The blonde girl responded with a warm enthusiasm, evidently interested in what Kairi was talking about.

_Girls and Babies._

Sora was dragging his feet on his left side, strangely quiet and down.

Roxas was almost certain Riku was a part of the reason.

Sora had yet to speak with him, and the blonde imagined he was not exactly looking forward to it, judging by his current appearance.

As Kairi continued talking about the baby, making both her and Naminé squeal and clap their hands in excitement, Roxas suddenly found himself thinking about Axel. He had not seen the red head the whole day, and for some indefinable reason, that made him a tad bit sad.

"So, what's the occasion?"

_Speaking of the devil._

Roxas spun around on the spot so fast he nearly fell over.

His suspicions were right.

Standing behind him, wearing a navy blue shirt and a pair of grey jeans, with a sly smile plastered on his cat-like face, was none other than Axel himself.

His emerald orbs were currently settled at Kairi and Naminé, who seconds ago had been giggling like crazy, but who at the moment, just watched him with mild curiosity.

Axel repeated himself, "what's the occasion? For you two to nearly bounce off the wall from chirpiness, I mean."

The girls just started to giggle again.

Axel rolled his eyes and turned his head away from them to face Roxas instead.

The blonde could feel his breath hitch as those glowing, jade eyes caught his.

"Well, hey there Sunshine!" The red head grinned.

Roxas scowled.

"Hello, Axel."

Said teen pouted childishly. "Aw, Roxy baby isn't having a good day?" he asked in a sorrowful manner. He placed an arm around the blondes shoulder and ruffled his short, spiky locks.

"How about I make you feel better?" He suggested smugly. Roxas could just about hear the smirk resolving.

He gulped as he felt himself blush heavily.

Axel must have noticed this, because he quickly scooted closer, doing that annoying, yet dreadfully hypnotizing, ear-whispering thing again.

"Awfully hot today isn't it?" he breathed furtively, only inches from Roxas' face.

Roxas could sense how his whole body heated up at the question, and was agonizingly aware of the faint smell of cinnamon that seemed to follow the red head around.

However, before the situation got any worse, he was rescued by a sarcastic voice to his left.

"Could you at least wait until you're alone with Roxas before you molest the poor kid?"

Roxas could see how Sora paled visibly at his side.

Riku was striding towards them, his movements determined and a look of resolution evident in his aqua eyes. He walked up to them, and came to stand just in front of Sora.

"We need to talk."

It was not an inquiry, but a statement, seemingly inarguable. Sora, who was staring at his shoes, appeared to think the same, because after a short moment's time, he nodded his head meekly.

Riku's shoulders relaxed, and though a bit stiffly, he held out his hand for Sora to take.

The brunet hesitated, but subsequently, his arm raised and he placed his hand in Riku's.

When their hands clasped together, the silver haired teen swallowed timidly and gave Sora's a light squeeze, before carefully pulling the brunet with him.

Roxas and the rest of the group watched them as they walked off, all of them lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

A/N: Again, thank you for the reviews!! I try to update as soon as I can manage every time, and the rewievs make me so much more eager to write, so please keep them coming, and tell me hat you like about the story! Thank you ever so much, Taki Kou for doing the beta, and love to everyone!

Ps. I'm sorry for the lack of AkuRoku and Zemyx, but there WILL be!! MUCH! Nods her head reassuringly Luffluff


	7. Chapter 7

**Warnings: **This story contains YAOI!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own any of the characters!

Chapter seven is up!! Hope you all enjoy! I look forward to writing the next ones, seeing as there is going to be loads of action! Thanks for rewieving!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Seven_

"_A Walk in the Park"_

"What the hell?!"

Axel's mouth was wide open, his eyes the size and shape of blitz balls as they stared astounded at Kairi.

"You're kidding? Right?"

Kairi shook her head and giggled. Her auburn locks fluttered around her head in a flourishing motion.

"What, seriously?!" He gawked at her and continued,

"Damn! Miss. My-tits-are-so-big-I-can't-run-without-knocking-myself-out-Lockhart is going to have a baby? With Reno? Reno, as in your brother, Reno?"

The red head looked as if someone had just hit him in the head with a sea lion, or something equally absurd.

Kairi nodded. "Pretty astonishing, huh?"

Axel let out a whistling sound. "Yeah, you might say that!"

He was silent for a moment, seemingly settling with the news, even though, he still appeared a bit shocked by the thought. Then he let out a theatrical, withdrawn sigh.

Roxas could not keep himself from watching the red head with an amused look as he rubbed his temples, supposedly trying to get rid of an imaginary headache, while taking deep, calming breaths.

Axel could be such a drama queen sometimes.

Clearly, that was Naminé's thought as well, as the delicate, blonde girl let out a reticent, amused chuckle. The sound did not pass the red head by, as he promptly turned his head to look at her with a silly grin splashed all over his face.

Naminé laughed warmheartedly.

"I can tell my charismatic person begins to appeal to you, my dearest." He declared sheepishly.

Her laughter faded, as a light stroke of pink covered her pale cheeks.

Axel seemed to notice her slight embarrassment, and flashed her warm smile.

"No need to worry Beautiful, it happens all the time." He winked at her, "Just ask little Mr. Sunshine here." He flicked his head in Roxas direction.

The blonde felt his insides begin to churn and let out an almost startled noise.

"W-what?" he stuttered angrily, glaring at the red head, who was smirking all but evilly at him.

"I'm not—" Axel stopped him by placing his index finger gently on the blonde's lips, to which Roxas could feel himself go completely red. The reaction of his body to the red heads skin against his mouth made him blush even harder and he desperately fought back the sudden need to lean into the soft touch.

"Shush, Sunshine," Axel leered, "no offence should be taken. I was just pointing out the facts."

Roxas abruptly came to his senses and in a livid motion, he slapped the red head's hand away, his face burning like a stove and azure eyes stared fiercely at Axel.

"In that case, you got your facts messed up!" He growled heatedly, a shameful feeling itching in his chest. Before the red head even got a chance to breathe, he whirled around and ran off.

* * *

Sora could feel how the hand held by Riku's quivered slightly as the silver haired teen lead him towards a deserted bench in the schoolyard.

His heart was racing so fast, he was sure it was going to explode right out of his chest.

_Stop it, Sora!_

_It's only Riku!_

Somehow, that thought only seemed to make things worse, and the brunet let out an anxious whimper that was completely beyond his control.

Riku caught the noise, and eyed him intensely as they sat down on the aged, wooden bench.

The sound of birds singing in the nearby trees and the sun's warm kisses on their skin somehow felt awfully fake and ironic to Sora. He suddenly got the asinine idea that the surroundings were laughing at him.

Riku let go of his hand, his turquoise eyes fixing the brunet. Sora couldn't find his voice, and for some reason he could not quite understand, his limbs seemed to be frozen, like he was some weird kind of statue.

He tried to think of something to say to the older teen, but the words never found their way to his lips. It was like they were somehow momentarily glued together, not allowing a single sound to escape. He swallowed hard, knowing that he had to start talking soon.

All the same, before he had the chance to speak, Riku beat him to it.

"Sora," his voice was sullen and his ocean gaze strangely worn out, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

The brunet could feel his stomach flutter with those words, and his breathing quickened, although he was unsure of why. It had been a simple question that should not be hard to answer. None the less, he could not think of a fitting reply.

He supposed he should explain to Riku why he had acted the way he did at Axel's the other day, and by that give him an answer to his question, but somehow that didn't seem like the truthful thing to say. The brunet had a gnawing feeling that he, in his subconsciouness; he knew exactly what he was supposed to answer. However, said subconsciouness wasn't about to reveal its secrets just yet, so Sora, in loss of anything words, nodded his head in conformation.

Riku waited patiently. His seemingly calm appearance triggered something inside of the brunet, and without thinking, he blurted out:

"What's up with you and Kairi?!" He hadn't meant for it to sound so passionately, but obviously, his actions were not cooperating with his brain today.

Riku blinked surprised at him. "What?"

Sora groaned. The other teen's unintelligible expression somehow annoyed him beyond boundaries. "Stop acting," he cried out, "You know what I mean!"

Riku, still wearing an extremely puzzled look, droopily shook his head. "No, Sora, I really don't."

Sora's angry expression faltered slightly, his mouth opening and closing. "You—you mean you—that there is nothing between you guys?"

Riku still looked bewildered, "Between who? Sora, what on earth are you rambling about?"

Sora felt his irritation flare up again. "Between you and Kairi!"

He continued, as Riku just stared at him, "Axel said the two of you were constantly flirting and—and stuff!"

Still no response from the silver haired teen.

"Why did you not tell me? Do you not trust me or something?!" Sora was nearly shouting now. In the back of his mind, he knew he probably looked pretty stupid, waving his arms like he was parodying Demyx on one of his worst days, eyes wide open, like a mental person and with an expression that inclined everything but sanity, but he didn't care at all right then.

"You're supposed to be my best friend Riku, my _best friend_!" As he said those last words, something cracked inside him, and he felt those hated tears filling his eyes once more.

He turned his head in embarrassment, not wanting Riku to see them.

_God Sora, why do you always have to act like a child?! _

He wished he could just shrink and vanish into nothingness as he struggled not to cry.

He had never felt so stupid in his life, so ashamed. Riku had, since their earliest childhood, been the one person he could count on _always_ to be there, not even Kairi could match that! And now, now Sora felt sadder than he had ever felt before, because in his eyes, Riku had just renounced his trust, and possibly his entire friendship, and nothing, _nothing _could be considered a worse fate by the brunet.

Suddenly, he was startled by the sound of laughter erupting.

He turned his head questioningly.

Riku was indeed laughing.

It was not a scornful kind of laughter, but a soft, whole-heartedly one, that only increased when he saw Sora's baffled expression. The brunet bit his lip, a wave of shame rushed over him and he turned away from Riku again, wanting to sink through the bench.

All of a sudden, two warm hands were placed firmly around his face, forcing him to look up again.

When he did that, his eyes met glimmering aquamarine ones that looked at him with all the affection a look could possibly muster.

"Sora…" Riku's voice was like butterfly wings, softer than the brunet had ever heard it, "My weird, naïve little Sora." As he spoke, one hand ran through his spiky locks, the other brushing gently against his cheek. Sora could feel his eyes watering again, leaving his sight all blurry, this time because of all the tension that had been built up inside him. It was as if hearing Riku speak to him in such a tender way released a stream of locked up feelings, and he did not even care to be embarrassed, or hide it anymore.

Riku repeated his name, which made Sora blink the tears away and look at him.

"Sora, nothing, absolutely _nothing_ is going on between me and Kairi."

Now, it was the brunet's turn to blink.

_What did Riku just say?_

"Did you really think I would keep something like that from you?" Before Sora got time to reply, he was pulled into an affectionate hug, head resting against Riku's chest.

It was a bit of an awkward position, but nice all the same.

"_God, Sora_, you're so naïve sometimes!" Riku's voice came out muffled, his face buried in the brown, spiky tresses.

"I would never keep anything from you! You're my best friend, and always will be! So for the love of Christ, _please_ stop crying." Sora was really surprised by all the emotions evident in his voice, but in his perplexed state, he at least stopped crying, like Riku wanted.

They sat like that for a moment, neither one of them wanting to break the silence.

Still held by Riku, now feeling rather content with the embrace, Sora let out a shivering sigh, nuzzling closer to the silver haired teen. Riku seemed to stiffen for a moment, but in the next, his body relaxed as he tightened his grip around the smaller teen slightly.

"Silly," he chuckled, "what made you think it was Kairi I am in love with?"

"Well Axel, he— "

Sora furrowed his brows as Riku's recent words slowly clarified themselves in his mind,

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm?" was the silver haired boy's dazzled reply against his hair.

Sora unlatched himself from Riku's arms and gazed intently at him.

"You just asked me what made me think Kairi was the one you are in love with." He paused, his eyes searching for some kind of answer in the other's face. "Does that mean you're in love with someone else?"

For a moment, Sora thought he saw a faint blush ascending in Riku's cheeks, but in the instant he noticed, it was gone, and a mischievous had smirk appeared instead.

The older teen leaned closer, before whispering teasingly in his ear,

"Maybe if you stopped speculating so much about everything, we would not end up like this anymore."

Sora pouted.

* * *

Roxas did not see where he was running.

His blood rushed through his veins, pounding roughly in his chest as he clenched his fists into balls from fury.

_Stupid, conceited Axel!_

Roxas was basically seeing red, and therefore he did not see the obstacle, standing in his path.

That's why, suddenly he found himself sprawled all over the sidewalk, his head throbbing painfully from the encounter with the solid asphalt.

As his vision cleared, he saw the reason behind his descending, in from of a tall male figure, only his contours evident against the blinding sunlight.

A hand was reached to him, and he took it and was pulled to his feet.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to focus, and when there were no black, dancing spots left dancing in front of his eyes, he saw an strange, yet familiar countenance

Lilac hair covered the right side of a pale face, only one piercing blue orb visible in the otherwise colorless picture. It was the boy from the entrance hall the other day, which Demyx was running after. Oh, so his new rescuer knew Demyx?

Roxas guessed he had to be quite nice then.

"You need to watch were you're running kid." The boy said coldly. All illusions Roxas might have had about the boy vanished when he heard that icy voice. This guy was _not_ as friendly as his dirty blonde companion, if he was to be categorized as that at all.

"I'm sorry—" he stammered, but before he could finish, he was knocked over once again, this time by an arm that came crashing out of nowhere followed by an excited squeal.

"Zexy!"

Roxas shook his head from his position on the ground, blinking at the newcomer.

"Demyx?"

The mohawked boy released a very grim looking "Zexy?" from his grip, and looked at Roxas, whom was once again spread out on the sidewalk. As he let go, the gloomy teen brushed his clothes with an irritated look on his face.

"Roxas?" Demyx sounded confused, "What are you doing down there?"

The blonde groaned from his position on the ground. "You knocked me over."

At firs Demyx looked stunned as he clasped a hand in front of is mouth. When he removed it, a sheepish look was evident on his somewhat childish features.

"Erm…sorry…"

As Roxas got to his feet, the bubbly teen spun around again, yanking the lilac haired boy by the arm and pushed him in front of Roxas. The blonde could not fail to notice the murderous look in his dark, blue eyes.

"Zexion, this is Roxas, Roxas, this is Zexion, now become friends!" Demyx clapped his hands cheerfully.

The frown on Zexion's face was so distinct Roxas was amazed at how Demyx avoided seeing it.

"Uhm… Hi…" Roxas lifted his hand uncertainly.

The other boy just rolled his eyes and uttered a dry "hello". Although, before the situation got even cornier, Demyx grabbed both of them by the shoulders, pulling them close so fast their heads nearly collided, evoking an irate yelp from Zexion.

"You guys!" Demyx cried eagerly, "I've got news!"

Said "guys" just scowled at him.

"I'm having a party on Friday, and guess what? You're both invited!" Demyx beamed as if he was about to burst with glee, his chest shooting forward, giving Roxas this sudden bad intuition. Obviously, Zexion felt the same, because instantaneously, they both ducked, and merely avoided the two torpedoes that were Demyx arms coming soaring at them.

"So, are you coming?" Demyx turned to his sides to look at them, and blinked befuddled when he found the two teens were not beside him anymore, but standing about five feet away.

Zexion let out a drained sigh, "Sure." Roxas could see by the look on his face however, that the thought did not excite him all that much.

"Great!" Demyx cried and leapt up to him, attempting to give him a crushing hug, but was stopped abruptly by Zexion's hand being firmly placed on his forehead.

Not even that gesture seemed to make the bouncy teen lose his courage, as he whirled around, penetrating Roxas with a gleeful expression.

"And how about you?"

Roxas shrugged. "Okay, thanks."

Demyx just whined and clapped his hands once more.

_Clearly,_ Roxas thought,

_This was going to be a long week… _

Somehow, thinking those words seemed to be becoming a habit.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it! Thank you so much for the beta Kou Taiki-san! You are wonderful!! And all you rewievers!! Please keep it going!! Love you all! Hopefully, or I PROMISE, there will be some Akuroku real soon!! Until that.. don't give up on me;)

Elsker dere alle!


	8. Chapter 8

**Warnings:** This Story Contains Yaoi!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own any of the characters in this story... sniffle

Chapter 8 is up! And I'm sorry for the long wait.. I had workworkworkand WORK!!! But it won't EVER happen again!! Love you all!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

**_Chapter Eight_**

_"The Dreams That Keep You Up" _

"_I can tell my charismatic person begins to appeal to you, my dearest."_

Emerald eyes gleaming with mischief.

Enchanting.

"_Just ask little Mr. Sunshine here."_

A soft finger placed on his lips.

His pulse beating fervently.

Seducing.

"_Shush, Sunshine,"_

Blood rushing through his body. Heart racing so fast it's hard to breathe.

Shivers traveling down his spine.

Dangerous.

"Gah!"

Roxas sat up in his bed. His hand flew to his head, tugging at the short blonde spikes in frustration, feeling how his scalp burned when golden strains of hair was ripped loose.

_Damn!_

The room was hot, awfully hot. Steaming.

Like it somehow, during the night had turned into a sauna.

The blonde threw his covers away, growled heatedly, rushed to the window and opened it.

Sweat drops had broken out on his forehead and he could feel his face burning.

He shivered as the cool night air hit him, leant against the window-frame and drew a deep breath.

"Damn you!" He hissed to no one in particular, while trying to ease his breathing.

He felt like he had been running for miles.

Probably looked that way to.

Out of pure nuisance, he slammed his hand against the window, and jumped slightly at the loud clunk that followed, like he had not been expecting the sound.

"Damn you Axel!"

As he could feel himself slowly calm down, he found his mind wandering back to the dream he'd been awoken from. Or, more likely, the blonde thought, _nightmare._

It had been about Axel of course, like practically all of his dreams lately.

Ever since Tuesday, when Axel had made that stupid comment about the blonde being "appealed to by his charismatic person", Roxas had avoided Axel like the plague. Today, or night, which was more fitting, seeing as the clock on his bedside table said 03:07, was Friday, and therefore, the blonde had not seen the red head for two days.

An arrangement he was rather happy about!

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

For that reason, when Roxas woke up from his dreams two nights in a row, feeling like he'd just been through hell and back again a couple of times during his sleep, the blonde suffered a overpowering defeat.

_He_ might be happy with the arrangement of not seeing the red head, but his body certainly wasn't!

So, every time he closed his eyes and drifted off, a pair of lustrous jades and a cat-like smirk, flashed through his mind. He struggled against the fangs of slumber as that teasing smirk came closer and closer, until warm lips found his, making him moan loudly in his sleep. Later, when he woke up, panting and covered with sweat, waves of shame and disgust ran through him and he just wanted to lock himself in his room for a month.

He was not only ashamed of the fact that his dreams were indeed of a really disturbing sexual nature, but because, as when he woke up, he felt disappointed.

But only for a split second.

The next, he would hit himself mentally –if not physically as well- and send hatred thoughts towards a particular red head.

_God! Why did that stupid, stuck-up __dumbass have to say something so utterly idiotic? _

"_I can tell my charismatic person begins to appeal to you, my dearest."_

"Charismatic my ass!" Roxas snarled as he moved away from the window and climbed back to his bed, draping himself in the warm sheets.

It was not an overstatement to say that the flamboyant teen was getting on his nerves, even considered the facts that he was not around! The blonde wanted to scream, to throw something at someone. Preferably something heavy, and preferably at Axel.

He buried his face in the soft texture of his bed and forced his eyelids sealed, although he knew exactly what that would lead to.

More dreams.

More totally _fucked up_ dreams!

Roxas growled angrily one last time before sleep got its hold on him, and he once again found himself spellbound by a couple of alluring emeralds.

* * *

"Sora! Get your lazy bum out here right now!" 

Roxas stamped his foot impatiently. The clock had already passed eight thirty, and if the brunet didn't get his gear moving anytime soon, they would miss the bus. Roxas really was not keen on getting late for class today. This particular day that started with English, and by that, Mr. Leonheart.

Riku had really been right when he portrayed the English teacher as a frightening man.

Roxas had been introduced to the dark haired teacher the day before, during their first English lesson.

Throughout the whole session, Mr. Leonheart, which Roxas had soon found was a very quiet, yet oddly intimidating man, had been leaning against the catheter, watching them like a hawk while they read and analyzed a poem about languages. Roxas had thought it was a really boring one, but not for all the money in the world was he about to say something like that in front of Mr. Leonheart. Hayner had accurately muttered something vaguely audible about "the irrelevance of lyric", but was abruptly shut up by an icy stare from the blackboard.

Seemingly, Mr. Leonheart had a trace of the same mind-reading abilities that Mr. Valentine was blessed with, a thought that did not exactly tranquil the blonde. So, he did _not_ want to be late for class today.

The morning sun had already covered the small streets of Destiny Drive in a warm light and the soft ocean breeze playfully ruffled Roxas' blonde locks. Strains of gold fell in his eyes, and he impatiently brushed them away.

"Sora!" He yelled again, glancing at his watch.

_What on earth was he brunet doing in there? _

At last, he heard Sora's hurried footsteps from inside the house.

"I'm coming!" Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise and a bang, followed by a yelp from his twin. Roxas rolled his eyes. Sora always tripped over the chair in the entrance hall.

A moment later, the brunet came rushing out of the door. His wild spikes seemed even messier than usual, and he looked tired. As he came towards the blonde waiting on the sidewalk, he rubbed his eyes and gasped loudly.

"Tired?" the blonde asked as they hasted down the street, towards the bus station.

Sora nodded as he continued to rub his eyes, and Roxas noticed there were small, blue rings beneath them.

Roxas looked questioningly at him. "Why? You couldn't sleep?"

For a moment, the brunet looked perplexed, his eyes darting from side to side, and then he mumbled something Roxas was not able to catch.

The blonde grimaced. "What?"

Sora scratched his head and turned slightly away from him before repeating himself.

"You were moaning."

Roxas eyes flew open and his face heated up.

_God! Sora heard that?_

He gulped.

"Did—did I say anything?" He could feel the killer butterflies start to roam in his stomach again, making him nauseous. How embarrassed could one possibly get?

Sora shook his head in haste.

_Oh God__, thank you! _

Suddenly, a roaming sound broke the uncomfortable silence that had erupted between them. A streak of yellow flew past them, and with a growing desperation, Roxas realized it was the school bus.

"Damn!"

He was about to yell at Sora for being late, but he never actually got that far, because he was interrupted by an earsplitting honk from behind. Sora jumped so roughly, he nearly knocked Roxas over, and whirled around at the speed of light. The blonde was surprised that he was able to stop the rotation at all and did not end up taking a pirouette.

"Someone in need of a ride?" Roxas recognized Riku's smug voice before he even turned.

"Riku!" Sora's eyes shone with happiness, and a big, joyful smile covered his hart-shaped face.

"Hey!"

Roxas froze.

"What about me?"

_Fuck!_

Nor now did the have to turn around to see who the possessor of that jokingly disappointed voice was. Not only had he been captivated by that voice since the first time he heard it, but the same, melodious emphasis had been haunting his every dream for the last couple of nights.

_Axel._

Even though it strode against all his inner wishes, Roxas found himself rotating on the spot, until he faced the old, blue Mercedes that was currently parked right behind them.

In the front seat, Riku was smiling broadly at Sora, and at his side, an all too familiar red head sat, eyes presently fixed at the blonde in an intensive stare.

Roxas felt like squirming.

"Oh, I'm sorry Axel!" Sora pouted in jest. "I did not notice you at first."

Riku laughed teasingly at Axel, as the red head put on a hurt expression, "he's only got eyes for me."

The moment he said it, aquamarine orbs widened slightly, and Roxas swore there was a light flush in the silver haired teen's cheeks. When he glanced at Sora, he could not avoid seeing the crimson color that had currently settled in his twin's face, a color that made Mr. Valentine's cape pale in comparison.

Even Axel seemed to note the growing tension, so before things got out of hand, the red head stuck his arm out of the open car window and slammed his palm against the outside of the door.

"Let's not wait for the grass to grow!" He joked, and flashed Roxas a genuine smile, to which the blonde just gritted his teeth and tried not to frown.

Sora however, seemed to be very pleased with Axel's attempt to save the situation. He quickly grabbed Roxas by the collar and proceeded pushing him against the car.

"How great that you drove by at this very moment!" the chirpy brunet announced happily as he left Roxas at the left side of the car and walked around the blue Mercedes to sit behind Axel.

Before he got that far however, he was stopped abruptly by the car door swinging open, nearly knocking him over, but he was caught just before the fall by the door-opener.

Axel grinned sheepishly and uttered a laughing apology as Sore steadied himself.

"I'll let you sit front Shorty," ignoring the Hey-I'm-not-short-glare from Sora, the red head took a moment's pause and his gaze floated to Roxas at the other side of the car. Roxas almost thought there was something similar to regret glistening in his green emeralds.

"Me and Sunshine here have got some things to sort out."

Roxas felt his insides coil, and the all too familiar feeling of butterflies getting ready for war in his gut became nearly overpowering.

What on earth was this? Why did that stupid, self-important bastard have to make such idiotic jokes all the time? Roxas wanted to lie down in front of the car and beg Riku to drive over him. Or even better, to drive over Axel!

Sora squealed excitedly, wormed past Axel and plopped down beside Riku in the front seat.

Roxas was momentarily glued to the spot.

He did NOT want to get into that car. Not when the demon that hunted his not-to-uncomfortable-dreams was going to be sitting right next to him!

However, when he stood there at a loss of what to do, he came to think of Mr. Leonheart again, and for a moment, he remembered the ice cold flame burning in a pair of daunting, stormy eyes.

After pondering for a short second whether skipping this car-ride was worth lighting that scary, frosty fire, he decided that even being stuck in the back seat with the person terrorizing him in his sleep was a tad better than getting Mr. Leonheart angry.

"Great…" he muttered lividly and climbed into the back seat. Axel quickly slid in beside him and slammed the door shut.

For some reason, Roxas felt trapped.

"Let's go then!" Sora chirped excitedly from the front seat, and Roxas felt like punching him in the back of his head.

Before he got that far however, a warm hand was put on his arm.

He froze for the second time that day.

"Roxy?" Axel's voice was gentle, almost pleading.

Roxas tried to ignore it by glancing stubbornly out of the window, as if there was something extremely interesting about the herds of identical houses that flew past them, but stiffened further as the hand grazing his arm gave it a light stroke.

"What is it?" the words came out fiercely and he did not try to cover up the sharp edges.

Axel sighed.

"Please look at me?"

Roxas bit his lip and frowned before turning to the red head. No use evading it anyway.

He had not expected to see Axel sitting with his head bowed, eyes sweeping the car seat.

Some of his red hair fell in his face, which was currently without the usual gleam of mischief.

Roxas thought the red head looked sad somehow.

When his face slowly lifted to look at him, the blonde was taken aback by the look of utter remorse grazing his features.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Yes, I heard that, I just—"he was cut off by a mild squeeze on his arm, a touch that made his blood rush to his face.

He shut his mouth and clenched his jaws as his gaze drifted to the hand resting on his skin.

The red head's long, elegant fingers was a pale contrast to his lightly tanned skin, and the way they curled around his arm made shivers travel down the blonde's spine. He tried desperately not to think about the dream from the other night.

"I never meant to make you angry or embarrassed…"

Roxas jumped at the words and was pulled out from his little trance.

He had to take a moment to recall what the red head had just said.

Angry?

Roxas writhed in his seat as the realization hit him. And now, it was impossible to steer clear of blushing.

Yes he had been angry.

But, not for the cause Axel thought.

The reason he had run away like that was not because of what he had said, but because Roxas, deep within himself, knew that there were truth in his words.

When Axel had said that he was affected by him, the blonde had felt somehow caught in the act and that was what had made him so sick and mad.

He'd felt embarrassed as hell and therefore he could not stand being under the red head's intense stare, so he ran away. He fled.

Roxas wanted to hit himself now.

_God! _

_He was the one that had acted like a jerk, not Axel! _

_Axel had just made a joke, not aware of the actual truth behind it!_

Suddenly, Roxas felt really ashamed of himself.

The recognition of him acting like an idiot against Axel, compared with the embarrassment that had lingered inside of him after having those bizarre dreams about him, all of a sudden made him want to cry from humiliation.

He swallowed roughly and tried to suppress the growing mass of water in his eyes.

_Why did he have to have those dreams? _

_Why?!_

_He was not attracted by Axel!_

_Axel was a boy!_

_He was a boy!_

_And he was NOT gay! _

The tears threatened to break free as the word _gay_ seemed to echo in his mind.

_Gah! _

He could not be gay could he?

He liked girls!

…And yet, he _was_ attracted to Axel…who was a boy.

_Dammit!_

"Sunshine?" Axel's voice sounded concerned.

"You okay?"

Roxas wanted to hit him for asking. He wanted to turn that gorgeous, smug looking face into an unrecognizable pile of flesh and blood so that he never had to look at it again.

_No, for God'__s sake! _

_I am not OK_

_I am attracted to a boy and I'm a boy myself!_

Despite his inner turmoil, he managed to reply a small "yes" and his head dropped to the floor. He at once felt drained from power, and all he wanted to do was to lie down and sleep for a hundred years. He could feel Axel still watching him, so he continued in a small voice.

"I'm okay… I mean… It's okay, I'm the one who should apologize for being—"

"Don't."

Roxas looked up.

Axel held his hand up in a preventing manner, emerald eyes filled with seriousness.

"Don't say that," he shook his head, "I was the one that started it, and you had all the right to be mad. It was childish of me and I'm sorry."

Before Roxas could do or say anything, the red head let his hand slide up the blonde's arm until it reached his shoulder. He held his free hand out, and placed it beneath Roxas' chin and forced the smaller teen to look at him.

"Do not accuse yourself of anything Sunshine," his voice was oddly soft, "the blame is mine." As he uttered it, his hand lifted to sweep away the strains of hair that always seemed to find their way to the blonde's face.

"I should not have made that thick comment the other day."

Roxas heated up, as elegant fingers brushed his nose and without warning, cupped his cheek.

He held his breath as the red head carried his face tenderly and for a moment, he forgot all about the world around him as those long, gentle fingers draw peculiar patterns across his skin. For a moment, Roxas thought he saw a flash of covetousness in the depths of green that were settled on him and the notion sent off sparks in his head.

"It's just…" Axel's voice was raspy, his breath ragged and warm against the blonde's features, "you're awfully cute…"

Roxas' eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat.

"W-what?"

He could not have heard right.

"I said…" Axel's voice now had a tinge of his standard mischievousness, "you are awfully cute Roxas."

Roxas felt his mouth open and close in complete shock, and just when he thought he was going to faint, he was jerked forward as the car made an unexpected u-turn and then an abrupt stop.

He came crushing against Axel's torso and seemingly without thinking, the red head wrapped his arms around the smaller blonde in a protective manner.

Roxas could hear Axel's faint heartbeat and as his strong arms encircled him, the blonde swore their heart pounded in unison. When he sat like that, with his whole face buried against that firm chest, he instantly forgot everything that had happened before. All the incidents that had lead to that very moment became unimportant. He lost all his rationale sense.

All he could do was to melt further into the sheltered embrace.

He suddenly found Axel's hands caressing his back, and the velvet touches made him nuzzle his head in to the crook of Axel's neck. He was completely beyond all borders at this point. All he currently cared about was those soft strokes on his back, the faint smell of cinnamon that made his head spin, and the warmth that radiated from the older teen that held him.

Then, reality came crashing back.

And not so surprisingly, in the form of a hyper brunet.

"Roxas! We have to leave for class!"

The blonde blinked.

_Oh, they were already there… _

He looked over Axel's shoulder and out the car window where he could see the school building.

Then, he realized his position.

The lanky arms that where wrapped around him suddenly felt like they were on fire, and his heart skipped a beat.

_Oh God!_

At the speed of light, he straightened up, mumbled a quick goodbye to Axel and jumped out of the car, while all the time, his face burned like a thousand bonfires. He grabbed Sora by the shoulders, pulled the brunet with him and strode off.

As he passed Riku, he accidentally met the other boy's eyes, and in the splash of aquamarine, se saw something that could only be described as a mixture of amusement and surprise.

The look made Roxas scowl and heat up further.

_Damn! That did so not have to happen!_

* * *

**A/N: **Again, I'm so sorry for the wait.. But I really did not have time to write even if my fingres craved it like hell! Loads of love! I'm going to Ireland tomorrow, so there won't be an update till thursday, hope that's ok! HUGS 


	9. Chapter 9

Warning: This story contains YAOI!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters...

A/N: Chapter Nine is up! Sorry for the wait! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

Chapter Nine

_ "Babysitting"_

"So, are you going to Demyx's tonight?"

Naminé's soft voice nearly made him jump as they walked across the school cafeteria with their food-trays to find a table among the herd of students.

Roxas, who had currently been thinking about Axel and the not so unpleasant end of the day's car ride, pondered her question.

"I don't know…" he answered thoughtfully.

Naminé made a small, sweet smile and stooped her head. Her blond locks fell into her eyes and she gently brushed them away. Roxas had come to notice she did that a lot, and every time she did it, Roxas found the gesture very endearing. There was just something about Naminé that he and apparently everyone else just had to like. She seemed so sweet and innocent, and the blonde doubted there was ever a bad thought running through her mind.

"Well, me neither… But, I figured…" she looked up at him, her indigo eyes were filled with a faint hope, "maybe we could go together?" She held his gaze optimistically, although she seemed a bit anxious about his reply.

"You know," she continued rapidly, "I do not really know him. Demyx I mean. Kairi was the one that invited me along." Her eyes lit up as she spoke the auburn haired girl's name. She had obviously come to like her a lot.

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah, well, if I'm going, I suppose we could do that."

Naminé beamed at him.

"Great!"

She suddenly became serious. "I really like hanging out with Kairi, but since I don't actually know her all that well, the thought of going alone to a party with her makes me a bit nervous." She laughed timidly and looked at her feet as if she was embarrassed over something. Another utterly cute gesture of hers.

Roxas did not point out the fact that he, himself, had not known her any longer than Kairi. Instead, he just grinned broadly at her, actually feeling slightly proud about her asking him to escort her. He figured that had to mean she trusted him.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

She tilted her head up and smiled widely. "Thanks!"

"Oh, no need to thank me! It'll be a pleasure taking you to the feast Milady!" He declared dramatically, took her hand -nearly losing his tray of food in the process-, and pretended to kiss it.

Naminé giggled and set straight the plate that was about to tip over the edge of Roxas' tray.

* * *

_Riiiiing_

"I'll get it!" Sora ran for the door, and by a miracle he actually avoided the chair in the hallway. Roxas stifled a laugh and shook his head.

"Rikuuuuuu!" he twittered happily and Roxas recognized the silver haired teen that stepped inside.

"Ah! And Cloud!"

Roxas stretched to see and was surprised to see that it was indeed his half-brother that followed behind Riku.

"What are you two doing here? And why are you here together? Did anything happen?" Sora blabbered in a rush while he slanted his head to the side while furrowing his brows questioningly, a gesture that was very typical for the chirpy brunet.

Cloud laughed. "Will you at least let us properly inside before you bomb us with your curiosity Sora? Did our mom not teach you manners? Or did you just not pay attention to her?"

Sora pouted and Riku laughed whole-heartedly while ruffling his brown spikes.

When the two males were safe inside, they all sat down around the kitchen table. Mrs. Kitamura handed them a plate of newly baked cookies and kissed Cloud affectionately, while cooing about how she'd missed her baby until the blonde jokingly reminded her that he was a grown up man.

"Fho, whiku" Sora started, his maw full of cookies. He never got the chance to finish, as his mother placed a firm hand over his mouth. "Do not speak while you're eating Sora!"

"Shovhy," he tried to apologize, earning a What-did-I-just-tell-you-look from Mrs. Kitamura that made him grin sheepishly. Riku chuckled and Cloud howled in laughter.

Roxas frowned.

Since when did his brother ever do that?

Seemingly, Cloud was going through a very happy period and he did not care to hide it.

While it didn't really seem to bother anyone else, Roxas found it a tad bit creepy.

When Sora had finally gulped down his cookies–after chewing like a maniac- he took a deep breath before he continued to probe the older males for information.

"Now, tell us why you're here guys!"

Riku shrugged. "It's nothing special really…" he took a sip of the tea Mrs. Kitamura had handed him before continuing, "We just met on the way home from practice." To this, Sora tilted his head to the side. "Practice?"

Riku chuckled. "Yeah, practice, like in _work out_. It's something you do to keep your shape up…Of course you, being the lazy bum you are, would not be familiar with the common terms of the word."

Sora whined and hit Riku in the head, eliciting amused laughs from those around the table.

"Don't be an asshole Ri! I know perfectly well what the word 'practice' means! I just wondered why you were working out together, and where? What do you mean by 'practice' anyways?!"

Sora, who by now had a flash of red spread across his cheeks, seemed utterly confused, wrinkling his nose and narrowing his eyes.

Riku rubbed his head and pouted, a facial expression you hardly ever saw him make.

"Ouch, Sora, I never thought you had it in you. You always seemed such a pussy."

Sora gasped and tried to slap Riku again, but the silver haired teen ducked and caught his hand in the air. Then, he proceeded with grabbing Sora's shirt and pulled him so close that their faces were only inches apart.

"Don't you even think of it Spike."

Sora gulped and his eyes widened slightly. Riku smirked and cocked an eyebrow, a gesture that said "I-dare-you". The two boys regarded each other intensely, neither of them breaking eye contact.

"Before you two decide to kill each other off," Cloud interrupted their odd stare contest.

"Sora, Riku and I met back at school. I was working with the new Phys. Ed program and Riku just finished swim practice when I was about to leave so he gave me a ride. No big deal, see?"

Though, Sora's facial expression inclined differently. Large, blue orbs gazed into aquamarines, bearing a befuddled expression.

"You're on the swimming squad?" The brunet looked startled.

Riku, still holding his shirt, went silent for a moment before answering in a small voice.

"Yeah… Since Monday actually... I was going to tell you, but when I went to Axel's to pick up you and Roxas…well…" His trail of words expired.

"Oh…" Sora stooped his head. A somewhat awkward silent fell between the two of them. Neither of the boys seemed to realize Riku was still clutching Sora's shirt as they appeared to avoid the other's eyes.

Once again, Cloud came to the rescue.

"So, now that those cards are on the table, maybe you would like to know the reason behind my appearance?"

Like on a cue, Riku let go of Sora and made a small sarcastic snort. "Jeez Cloud, you make it sound as if you're about to reveal something akin to a government secret!"

Cloud raised his bows.

"And how do you know I'm not?"

Roxas wanted to roll his eyes. Cloud was acting so extremely out of character that it nearly scared him, but only nearly. At this point, it only seemed utterly weird.

"Stop being such a tease about it and tell us!" Sora billowed.

Now, Roxas did roll his eyes as their blonde brother took a deep breath, heaved his chest importantly and made a not so tiny dramatic look.

"I… am going to baby-sit!" he announced loudly, still in his earlier melodramatic behaviour.

Sora blinked, uttering Roxas' thoughts; "Who?"

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Eh… You?"

Sora gaped and Roxas felt his own expression changing into one of the same spirit.

"Us?! Since when did we need babysitting? And why?!" The brunet seemed to be as flabbergasted as his twin from this new piece of information. Like many times before, he waved his arm in the air, again reminding Roxas of Demyx.

"Demyx," Riku suddenly exclaimed and Roxas wondered for a moment whether the silver haired teen was able to read his thoughts, but his confusion was killed as Cloud filled him in.

"You're friend Demyx is said to have a party this evening. And, seeing as mom has to go away on this conference tonight, I called her and asked if she needed me to baby-sit you. You know how she can be. All worried about nothing, especially when it comes to her little 'angels', so she was very pleased with me coming here to look after the two of you and pick you up from the bash."

Sora still gaped. "How do you know about Demyx's party? And more importantly, how does mom know?" Then, right after the last word left his mouth, his eyes contracted until they were nothing but two small slits of oceans, fixed on a particular boy with silver hair sitting beside him.

"You!" He hissed.

Riku tried to look innocent as he blinked his eyes charmingly and grinned in a very saintly matter.

"Cut the crap you— you— traitorous cheater!"

At this comment, both Roxas and Cloud started to laugh and as their laughter broke the 'dangerous' silence, Riku could not hold back a snicker and Sora fought hard to keep the chuckling escaping his lips. Eventually, nature took its toll, and they all ended up barking out in laughter.

Between gasps, Roxas managed to ask Cloud exactly how he'd gotten to know that they were invited to Demyx' and indeed Riku was the source of this rumour. He had just mentioned it after practice, and Cloud had called Mrs. Kitamura before going over.

"So, we are going to be stuck with you all weekend?" Roxas asked jokingly.

Cloud shook his head. "Nope, only tonight. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with Tifa and a friend of hers. When I think about it, maybe you know him, Squall Leonheart? He's tutoring English at Destiny High." As he said it, all the faces around the table paled.

Riku was the first to speak. "You're going to hang out with Mr. Leonheart?" he sounded just as shocked as Roxas, and on the face of it, Sora did.

"Mhm?" Cloud regarded the three of them with a questioning look.

"That, erm—", Riku hesitated, "sounds, uh, harmonious."

Roxas coughed and Sora's eyebrow flew towards the roof.

_Harmonious? _

Before either of them could speak however, Riku sent them his infamous 'death glare', clearly

challenging them to make a comment about it.

"Ah, yeah—uh sure!"

"That's—erm great!" Both Roxas and Sora hurriedly affirmed, nodding their heads in unison.

Cloud seized them all with an odd look, but seemed to settle with the thought of them only acting their usual weird way. After all, his brothers were a sole chapter.

Suddenly, Riku's phone rang, playing a song by his favourite band. Roxas had gotten extremely tired of that song by now, seeing as every time Riku came over –which he definitely did a lot- his mobile rang a hundred times per hour, usually it being girls that wanted to chat or make an appointment.

_Yeah, Riku Hitachi, Mr. Popular._

"It's Kairi."

Riku rose to his feet to leave the room for a private conversation, but stopped as his eyes fell on Sora. The brunet was watching him with an all but strange look in his azure orbs.

Roxas furrowed his brows, but didn't ponder further about it, as Riku sat down again, and Sora's face went back to normal.

Riku flipped his phone open. "Hello, Kairi."

"Yeah, he's here."

He concentrated on whatever it was Kairi was talking about, biting his lip tentatively.

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, I'll tell him."

"Right, bye."

As he hung up, Riku's eyes met Roxas'.

"Kairi wanted me to tell you that she and Naminé will meet up with you at Demyx's. They had some shopping to do first, she said."

"Oh…" Was all Roxas could answer.

"Kairi called you, to tell Roxas that?" Sora sounded dumbfounded, and his voice held something that Roxas could only describe as suspiciousness in it.

Riku gazed at him. "Yeah."

"Why?"

The silver haired teen suddenly chuckled and his eyes gleamed with tomfoolery. "Maybe because she did not have Roxas' number, and assumed your phone to be turned off or lost."

Sora gawked. "Riku!"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the boring chapter and the long wait... I'm working a lot right now... Anyways.. thanks for all the reviews, and THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL INCLUDE ZEMYX!!!!!!!!! (Or at least that's the plan) Please read and review, it makes me wanna type so much faster!! Love you all! And My Wonderful Beta, you are still the BEST! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Warnings: **This story contains Yaoi!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters!

Chapter Ten is up! Please read and enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

Chapter Ten

_"The Use Of Bathrooms And Couches" _

"C'mon Roxas! Why are you taking so long?"

Sora was standing in the hallway, shouting Roxas' name so loudly, Roxas was sure the bathroom mirror quivered slightly from the sound waves.

"Roxas! Everyone's waiting only for you!"

_Everyone?_

Roxas shrugged. Sora probably meant himself and Cloud. Or maybe Riku was there too. He'd said he might drop by to catch the ride with Cloud. Yeah, that seemed reasonable. In Sora's world, Riku was approximately everyone.

Roxas chuckled a bit before returning to what he'd been busy with.

He was currently doing his hair, a part of him the blonde found extremely important. In fact, to Roxas', his hair meant a whole lot and no way he was going to a party in the lack of a perfect hairstyle. Roxas studied himself in the blank surface.

He'd already dressed up in a pair of loose fitting, black pants and a blue t-shirt with an animated eagle spread across the chest. He also wore his black and white checkered waist-bands and now, only his hair remained unperfected. The rest, he thought, looked pretty nice.

"…_awfully cute…"_

Roxas' head snapped up at the inner voice's remark.

The inner voice bearing the melodious emphasis that he associated with a certain red head. He growled darkly at his own image as he felt the fluttering feeling of butterflies in his middle regions.

_Damn!_

Roxas had not forgotten about Axel's comment earlier. How the hell was he supposed to do that anyway? All day, his knees had suddenly gotten all weak and jelly-like. As if they were made of spaghetti and were threatening to give in anytime. And his stomach had not at all behaved pleasantly. These problems were to occur every time he though of Axel, which was by the way, not so infrequent.

Axel had said he looked cute. Roxas could not help but wonder if he was. Well, he'd heard it from time to time, but usually from his mother, or other family members. At those occasions, he'd hated it- he did not want to be called cute for God's sake- but this time it was different. He did not mind Axel calling him cute, not at all actually. He thought it was a bit weird, yes, and he speculated about whether it was a gay-ish thing to say or not. Under any other circumstances he would have said yes, but when it came down to Axel, Roxas was at all times unsure of what to make out of things.

Axel was so different from anyone the blonde had ever encountered. He was like an abstract piece of art. You did not really know what you saw, or what it was supposed to illustrate, but it still gave you this peculiar, strong feeling within. In his case, Roxas thought, the feelings were a bit too strong, and he might add, a bit too weird.

Since the first time Roxas saw the fiery red head, he'd felt something that he, until then, had been unfamiliar with. It was as if only the mere sight of Axel turned on a switch inside of him that made his blood boil and heart pound like there was no tomorrow.

Of course, Roxas was not stupid. He _did_ know what the signals coming from his body meant, but the blonde choose to ignore them rather than pondering upon them. He simply avoided thinking about it. A solution he was fairly happy about.

Even though, he had to admit, it was pretty damn hard to ignore something he was sure to be an incoming heart attack. Like this morning in the backseat. For a moment, just after those brain-melting words had left Axel's mouth, Roxas was certain his heart was about to stop. Also, other, more vital reactions had made themselves known back then, but _that_, he was most definitely not thinking about!

_Enough stupid thoughts!_

_I have to get ready before Sora's shouting breaks all the glass in the house._

He reached for the green tube standing on the sink and squeezed some more hair-gel into his hand and looked into the mirror.

FLASH!

A lightning shot through the room and his eyes shut close from the sudden brightness. He felt dizzy, and before he could grab onto something he stumbled backwards until his knees hit the bath tub and he toppled over. He yelped in pain as his back slammed against the hard, porcelain surface that was the bottom of the tub.

"Ah! Sunshine, sorry!"

Roxas eyes flew open, and despite the tears of pain that were at the moment making his vision blur, he recognized the bright red hair and the pair of cat-shaped eyes that were currently fixed worriedly at him.

_Oh. God._

Roxas struggled to get out from his embarrassing position, legs spread wide, pointing upwards and arms flailing helplessly. It was harder than he'd imagined however, and the squirming he did trying to get up, only made him slide further down while panting from endeavor.

Axel, who held a camera in his right hand -the light-source, Roxas thought- laughed, and the blonde wished he had been able to reach the cold water knob, so he could drench himself in icy liquid, forcing away the all-eating flames that had engulfed him.

"Easy there, Sunshine. Here take my hand."

A lanky arm was extended to him and Roxas made a great effort grabbing it. He was pulled out of the tub, only to find himself pressed up against the taller boy's body. His eyes grew big as they locked with two gleaming emeralds only inches from his. The predatory look in them and the fact that they were extremely close made the blonde writhe and before he could stop it, a tiny whimper left his mouth. Axel's stare intensified and suddenly an eerie smirk appeared in his face. Then, without warning, he grinded his hips faintly, making Roxas gasp loudly and twist in his grip.

_Holy shit!_

Roxas had never in his life felt so flustered.

By now, it was nearly impossible to ignore the throbbing feeling in his… lower regions.

The blonde wanted to simply vanish as that smirk only increased and when the red head once again moved against him, Roxas' knees finally did what they had been dropping hints about all day. He felt how they gave away underneath him and had he not still been held by Axel, he would have crashed against the floor. Axel seemed to have noticed his problems and carefully elevated the blond and placed him securely in a sitting position at the edge of the tub. Roxas thought he was going to die from embarrassment and when Axel slowly cupped his cheek and forced him to look at him, the blonde almost fainted.

"Hey, Roxas," the melodious voice was strangely husky and the smirk had left his features. Instead, something akin to… to lust? -Roxas gulped at his own choice of words-, was evident in the green depths.

Suddenly, without any kind of motivation, Roxas found himself moving forwards as Axel's pale hands caressed his face. Everything was such a daze and it seemed as if the world had just stopped rotating. He had the feeling he was in the middle of a dream.

And in dreams, everything was allowed, right?

He felt Axel's warm breath against his cheek, and swore it was a bit unsteady.

Then—

"ROOOXAS!! AXEL! What on earth are you doing up there?!"

As if struck by lightning, Roxas leapt away from Axel and nearly hit the door frame searching for the way out. As he stumbled down the stairs, all which went through his head was;

_Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh GOD!!!_

* * *

Demyx's house was big, bigger than theirs, and the entrance hall was nearly the size of their living room. As they entered, they had to push their way past the hordes of students. Some of them were already fairly drunk, which was clearly proven by the way they were dancing. Roxas thought it looked as if they were dry humping each other. For the second time that day, the blonde cringed at his own vocabulary selections. And with the events from earlier still clear in his mind, he scooted a little closer to Sora and away from Axel.

It was fair to say that the car ride to Demyx's had been as close to living hell as possible. Sora, being the dimwit he was had claimed the front seat, and therefore Roxas had been stuck between Riku and Axel in the back. Throughout the whole trip, the blonde had given prayers to whatever gods that existed, asking for strength to get through it. By a miracle, it seemed as if the spirits were on his side that particular moment, because nothing bad had happened, except maybe when Sora's constant blabbering and whining almost caused Cloud to drive over a chain of ducks crossing the road from distraction.

Riku lead the way through the sea of people, and soon they entered what had to be the living room. Big, lavender sofas and chairs were placed around a round, wooden table, a table that was currently filled with bottles containing alcoholic liquids. The furniture was surrounding a large electric fireplace, where fake flames were dancing their composed dance.

Roxas' eyes swept through the room and they first fell on Zexion, who was sitting in one of the couches with a bored expression plastered on his face.

He was wearing his usual black clothing and Roxas was indeed a bit surprised to see the older teen there. He did not at all seem as a proper party-crasher.

The blonde noticed a couple of other familiar faces too. Tidus, who were laughing at something this big teen Roxas recognized as Wakka, one of the star Blitz-ballers, said, seemed heavily drunk and Hayner, Roxas good friend since childhood were making out with his girlfriend Olette. Still, Naminé and Kairi had yet to arrive.

Suddenly, the door that lead out to the balcony flew open and a tall guy with blonde beard and hair came scampering into the room. Roxas had never seen him before, but caught a girl that was nearly knocked over as he shot past her yell "Luxord!" in an angry voice, so he assumed the guy was named that. 'Luxord' seemed utterly excited and his ice-blue orbs were sparkling with what Roxas could only describe as unadulterated malice. When he followed the gaze, he realized the big blonde was looking at Zexion.

"HAH!! I told you I could pull it off!"

His voice reminded Roxas of the roar of a lion. A very triumphant lion.

"I totally nailed her! And you, you little piece of shit told me I couldn't do it!"

At his words, the lilac haired boy flinched roughly and Roxas thought he saw a flash of worry in his otherwise frosty eyes.

"Yeah, that's right!" Luxord bellowed, "You heard me Zexion! I won!"

Zexion huffed. "Yeah, real smooth, Luxord, keep up the good work." He turned away from the other, but a sharp cry from Luxord made him freeze in his position.

"Oh, no you don't! You're not squirming your way out of this one Mr. Smart-ass!"

Luxord voice lowered, until it was almost a whisper. "You lost the bet."

At this, Zexion's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I don't care, gamer! Now get lost!"

"Aw, come on Zexion! Don't be such a wuss! A bet is a bet, right?"

Zexion looked at Luxord, his eyes so full of hate Roxas was surprised the bigger guy did not drop the subject. Said guy, however was just grinning madly, and a look of pure evil grazed his features.

"That's what I thought!" Luxord stated with a wink at the lilac haired teen making his eyes twitch violently.

"Now, who's gonna be the lucky one?" Luxord continued, earning another death glare from Zexion. Roxas' frows furrowed as the 'gamer's eyes darted around in the room, first stopping at a girl with short blonde hair that were styled in two antenna-like spikes bending backwards. The female noticed Luxord look and a dangerous flare became evident in her eyes.

"Don't you even think about it, or I'll rip up your guts and lit your corps on fire!" her voice was smoldering. Roxas gulped, and concluded that she was not one to make fun of. Not if you wanted to stay alive.

Luxord seemed to think along the same lines, for he quickly shifted his gaze, and suddenly the big, wicked smile appeared once again. His eyes were settled at none other than the party-thrower himself. Demyx was currently curled up in one of the big chairs, apparently occupied talking to a guy with long, pink hair and black pants that were so tight, Roxas thought it was a miracle he was at all able to sit.

_Gay._

_Definitely gay. _

"Hey! Dem!" Luxord voice pulled the agitated blonde out of his conversation and as Demyx's big, water-colored eyes looked questioningly at him, Roxas heard Zexion let out a gasp followed by an fervent growl. Luxord caught the sound as well and his Cheshire grin widened even more.

"Oh, yes my friend. Payback's a bitch! And you Zexion, you need to come down from your high horse! " To this, the lilac haired teen gritted his teeth and snarled angrily once more.

Demyx, who did not seem to understand more than Roxas and being the inpatient soul he was, raised his brows. "Yeah? What is it Luxord?"

The blond gamer flashed Zexion a cruel smile before once again turning to Demyx.

"I'm sorry Dem, but seems like you're going to have to pay for Mr. Arrogant here's stupid remarks."

Demyx furrowed his brows. "Mr. Arrogant? Luxord wha—"

"Shut the hell up, Luxord!" Zexion suddenly yelled from the couch.

Luxord did not bother to turn, he just pointed a finger back at Zexion. "Hush now, a bet is a bet, I already told you."

"Now, Demyx…" the blonde was evidently having a blast right now, "Like I said…"

Before he finished the sentence, however, he seemed to come up with a better idea and still grinning madly, he strode over to Demyx, completely ignoring the imaginary bullets coming from Zexion's eyes.

Demyx, who was still looking pretty dumbfounded, was taken a bit aback when Luxord grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. Roxas watched in curiosity, as the blond gamer bent down and whispered something in Demyx ear. Beside him, Roxas could hear Axel let out a low chuckle, sounding rather evil, and Riku's voice muttering, "This ought to be good."

He watched in awe as Demyx's face suddenly turned a deep shade of purple and his already large eyes grew to the size of blitz balls.

In a flash, the blonde jumped at least five feet away from a laughing Luxord and gaped at him.

"What?!"

Luxord just laughed harder and turned to Zexion, who was by now fuming.

"Looks like pretty boy Dem over here don't want your company."

"Wait—what?!" Demyx suddenly bellowed, at this point his arms shot up and he was doing his usual flailing. "I never said that!"

Luxord cocked an eyebrow and Roxas noticed Zexion turn cherry-red.

Demyx apparently realized what he's just said, and at first he seemed almost terrified.

"I…What I mean is, I— "

The blond, creepy girl with the antennas laughed harshly. "Dem at a loss of words? Now that's something you don't get to see every day!"

Axel snickered beside Roxas and so did Riku, Luxord and the pink haired boy.

The other party guest had not seemed to realize what was going on yet. Nor did Roxas, he was still very unaware of the meaning behind all of this.

"So, Dem, what's it gonna be?" Luxord voice was all but mischievous.

Demyx, who was by now looking as he had just encountered a ghost swallowed hard.

His blue orbs darted from Luxord and over to Zexion on the couch, who was now refusing to look Demyx's way. A tinge of red still spread across his cheeks. Demyx seemed to be completely lost as he bit his lip timidly. Roxas could imagine the blonde's pulse to be treacherously quick and he thought had it not been for the music, he could've heard his heartbeats.

Then, suddenly, Demyx made a spastic motion and without warning, he leaped towards Zexion.

As he passed Luxord, Roxas could swear he heard a silent "jackass", escaping the blonde's lips.

Before anyone knew it, Demyx were standing in front of a flabbergasted Zexion, hands on his hips and with a determined look in his face.

"Now, let's get this done!" he chirped.

Zexion's eyes grew big as the mohawked boy straddled his lap. The look on his face was strange. He seemed nearly scared of what was coming. His usually frosty orbs were clouded and darkened and his mouth hung slightly open. Roxas almost felt bad for him, though he didn't really understand what was to happen himself.

The lilac haired boy stared at Demyx as if hypnotized.

Then, as if someone had pushed him, Demyx bent down and captured Zexion's lips. Everyone that watched gasped and somewhere a girl let out a tiny scream of surprise. Roxas' jaw dropped to the floor as he watched the scene revolving in front of him.

For a moment, the lilac haired boy froze completely and his eyes widened so much, they looked as if they were about to pop out of his head. He almost seemed to be in a state of shock.

Then, as Demyx's arms suddenly wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, his eyes fluttered closed, and unexpectedly, his hands flew up and tangled in Demyx's hair. The blonde gasped slightly into the kiss, but did not break the contact.

Instead, he opened his mouth, offering the lilac haired boy entrance, an invitation Zexion did not throw away.

_Damn!_

_They are kissing!_

_They are fucking kissing! _

At his side, Roxas heard Sora whine, a sound that was followed by an amused hush from Riku. Roxas felt more than saw Axel laugh mutely.

Then, before anything else could happen, the lights went out, leaving the room pitch black.

* * *

** A/N: **So, the Zemyx part was not that long, but I still hope it's enjoyable! At least I loved writing it! Poor Zexy...

THANK YOU for reviews! They make my day! (So, please continue!) I will try to update as soon as possible, but I'm working pretty much this days, so it won't be TOO fast, even though, for you, I'll write until the blood flows from my fingers! Chuckle

Love you all! And especially my Beta!! THANK YOU!

Til neste gang...


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning:** Contains Yaoi!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own anything!

**A/N:** Chapter eleven is up! Please read and enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Eleven_

_"Girls And Sudden Kisses" _

"Hey!"

"What happened?!"

"Who turned off the light?!"

The room was stirring, and people kept shouting at one another. The music had faded too, so Roxas thought it had to be something wrong with the electricity system. When the lights went out, Roxas had been too occupied watching Demyx and Zexion, who had been _making-fucking-out_, so he never really noticed exactly where about in the room he was standing.

Even though he could not see a thing, he tried to locate Sora, but ended up bumping his leg against the living room table, letting out a tiny yelp of pain.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around him and his heart jumped at the by now familiar warmth that seemed to radiate from a certain person at all times. The blonde, who was still extremely flustered by watching the indeed unexpected scenario between Demyx and Zexion, felt how he reddened considerably at the closeness.

"Hush, Sunshine, its fine. Just stay close to me and everything will be all right."

Roxas frowned.

_Damn, what did Axel think of him?_

_That he wasn't even capable of taking care of himself in a dark room? _

He tried to force himself out of the red head's grasp, but only ended up being pressed closer to the firm body.

"Now, let's not get hasty, Sunshine. There's no plane to catch, is there?"

Roxas' frown deepened, and if the room had not been so gloomy, he was absolutely positive he would've seen that annoying, mischievous smirk and those leering eyes gleaming at him. Then again, if the room had been illuminated, he probably wouldn't have ended up in this stupid situation in the first place.

Roxas could not help to curse whatever had happened to the light.

"Everyone, please calm down!" It was Demyx's voice. Roxas thought he sounded a bit disturbed, but the blonde could not tell whether it was from the disappearance of the light or from… other events.

"I'm sure it's just the electricity system that has turned off, I'll go check on it right away."

The crowd let out a synchronized sigh of relief.

Some of the party guests had started turning on their cell phone's flashlights, and after some time, the room was partly lighted. Roxas noticed Sora. His twin brother was standing close to Riku, who was one of the people using his phone as a flashlight. Then, he became very much aware of Axel's arms encircling him, and in a scurry he wormed himself out of their captivity.

"I'm-okay-now-thank-you!" he stammered hurriedly, gaining an amused laugh from the red head.

"Yeah, Roxy, I'm sure you are…"

Roxas again felt this overwhelming urge to hit someone. Why was it that he got all disturbed every time Axel touched him, or said something that could imply… yeah, imply what exactly?

Roxas scowled. It just did not make sense! He was not supposed to be all affected by some stupid red head that always seemed to behave like a total jerk!

Ok, so maybe ha was a bit hard on Axel, but so what? It wasn't like said guy was any gentler to him!

Suddenly, the lights flickered on again. Roxas blinked and shook his head timidly. He noticed that the couch that had earlier been the object of everyone's attention was now empty.

_Where did Zexion go?_

_Probably home, after the past few events._

"There we go, Sunshine. I told you, there was nothing to worry about."

Roxas glared at Axel.

"I know that! And for your information, I was not worried!" The blonde could easily hear the childishness of his words, but right then, he did not care. He just huffed and turned his head dramatically.

"Aw, come on Roxy," a hand touched his shoulder, "I was kidding. I most certainly do not think you are afraid of the dark."

Roxas shuddered, as he felt the hand on his shoulder squeeze it gently, followed by a hushed whisper, "I only wanted an excuse to have you in my arms."

Roxas stiffened.

_What. The. Hell?!_

He turned, flabbergasted. "W—what?"

Axel smirked faintly at him, a dim blush that seemed almost abnormal ran across his high cheekbones.

"Yeah…"

The red head looked down for minute allowing fiery locks to fall into his eyes, before tilting his head upwards. Green emeralds abruptly captured Roxas' stunned gaze.

"You just fit in here, you know…" He made a small gesture with his hand towards his torso and then the blonde, and before Roxas became aware of his actions, he reached out and grabbed it. Axel jumped slightly at the touch, and Roxas nearly laughed at the unfamiliar sight.

Then, the fact that he was holding Axel's hand, lacing their fingers tenderly, came crashing at him. He was shocked to find his own fingers tugging gently at Axel's, pressing their palms together. For a moment, he thought of letting go, but it was like his arm had somehow frozen, and he found himself unable to move it.

In awe, he watched how Axel's long digits curled around his, his thumb softly stroking the back of Roxas' hand. He felt his heart speed up at the sight, his breath quickened and he had to swallow hard not to whimper.

Then, two things happened at once. The music changed, and a forceful melody suddenly hammered from the speakers, making both teens jump roughly, and at the same time, a familiar voice floated through the room.

"Sora! Roxas!"

Roxas spun around so fast, his arm was nearly ripped off, and Axel let out a yap of both surprise and pain as his hand was torn away. Roxas did not notice however, as he was occupied staring in the direction that his name had been called from.

Kairi and Naminé were making their way through the crowd, and when they stood in front of the group of guys a couple of seconds later, all Roxas could do was stare.

He blinked several times before he understood that what he saw was not an illusion, but mere fact.

_Wow._

His eyes were, like more than a few couple of eyes in the room, settled at a certain auburn haired girl.

Kairi, whom Roxas had known for what felt like his entire life, and never really saw as a girl, practically not even female, suddenly appeared as just that.

Long _–gosh were they really that long?!–_ tanned legs, lengthened by a pair of pink stilettos were elegantly wrapped in nothing but a tiny black skirt full of spangles and a pink, glittering belt hung loosely around slim, but nicely curved hips.

The blonde had never seen the auburn haired girl in anything but her usual clothing, and therefore, even though she always looked nice, he never actually noticed what she was wearing, or how she wore it.

This time it was different.

The cherry top Kairi was wearing nearly made him look away, but for some reason –had to be genetic– his eyes were drawn to the upper part of her body, where the soft fabric of her blouse left very little to the imagination. Her hair looked fluffier than normal, and her eyes were bordered with profound make up.

Roxas was sure he'd never seen her that good looking ever. She almost seemed strange, like one of those rare animal species he would read about in his books. It was as if he'd never seen her before.

The blonde peered around, and noticed that it seemed as if the rest of their little group were having the exact same thoughts.

Axel was studying Kairi with an interesting look. The corners of his mouth were pulled upwards in an approximately dry smile, and he was nodding his head slightly. To Roxas, it almost looked acknowledging.

Sora looked awe-stricken, his eyes wide like kitchen plates and his mouth vaguely open.

Roxas nearly chuckled at his goofy appearance.

His gaze drifted to Riku, and when he caught the look in the silver haired teens face, he furrowed his brows faintly. Riku's eyes were narrowed and he was biting his lower lip tentatively. His aqua orbs appeared somewhat clouded, while a small blush made itself known in his cheeks.

_Riku, blushing over something? _

_That's… Uhm…odd…_

Sora was –not so unexpectedly– the first to speak.

"Kairi!" His otherwise chirpy voice now sounded strangely hollow, yet excited. "Wow! You look amazing!"

The young girl's face lit up as she flashed the brunet a genuine smile.

Riku huffed vaguely, but no one seemed to notice it.

"Thank you Sora! You look quite nice yourself!" At this, Roxas lifted his eyebrows. Sora was wearing the exact same clothes he wore earlier at school, apart from the blue shirt –which was by the way not new at all– and his hair looked just as spiky as ever.

Clearly, Sora's thoughts were the same, because he just blinked at her.

Kairi did not appear to notice his confusion however, as she turned to Roxas and Axel. "Hey guys, sorry for the late arrival, we sort of got stuck at the mall." When she uttered the last words, she turned to Naminé and winked.

For the first time after their entrance, Roxas actually noticed the blonde, quiet girl.

As he watched her, he felt his expression soften and soon a large, frank grin was resting on his face.

Naminé looked lovely.

She was wearing a light blue dress that fell in soft folds around her small, frail body. The paleness of her skin, and her strikingly blue eyes, compared with the pastel color of her outfit, made her look almost ethereal and Roxas could not help being reminded of an elf.

The tiny smile she sent him when he beamed at her, made his own even wider and a warm feeling spread across his chest.

"It's okay," he replied, still watching the petite blonde, "you're forgiven for being late," he leant forward a bit, and nodded his head teasingly toward both girls, "seeing as you look so absolutely stunning."

Where this sudden bluntness came from, he did not know, but it actually felt good to say it, even if it was just said in jest

Naminé and Kairi giggled, and to his left, Roxas thought he heard a small snort from Axel, but he wasn't sure though, as the music was tuned up at the very same moment. He glanced sideways at the red head, but didn't really notice anything special about his appearance. Except maybe from the way he was glaring at the ceiling and completely avoiding looking in Roxas' direction. The blonde lifted his brows a little at the sight, but did not bother to think any more about it. Axel was such a weird creature anyway.

"So, are you guys having fun?" Kairi bellowed over the loud music and interrupted his train of thoughts. "Anything interesting happened yet?"

For a couple of seconds, all four of them went completely silent, and then, Roxas, Riku and Axel burst out laughing. Sora, on the other hand, had turned bright red, and for once Roxas was pleased with the fact that he wasn't the one blushing. Kairi and Naminé looked questioningly at the group of amused boys and their confusion only seemed to grow when glancing at the heavy, red stain in Sora's cheeks.

"What?" Kairi uttered what both girls looked like they where thinking while stamping her foot impatiently.

When laughter was the only reply, Sora despite his current crimson color, at last stepped forward, pulled Kairi's head close and whispered something in her ear, blushing like a maniac all the way.

Kairi's eyes grew big with realization at Sora's words, and then she started to laugh loudly as well.

Naminé was soon let in on the news, and much like Sora, she blushed heavily and stooped her head.

"Pretty astonishing, huh?" Kairi sniggered at the elfin blonde's reaction.

Naminé just nodded and colored further.

Her flush did not exactly fade when a certain blonde haired musician suddenly appeared behind Kairi.

"Hey guys!" Demyx threw his hands to the side and a big, welcoming smile shone in his face.

He opened his mouth to continue, but before the sound got the chance to escape him, a hand was placed abruptly over the gaping hole. Axel grinned madly at Demyx.

"Nice to see you still awake and standing Dem, that's truly amazing!"

When the mohawked boy just blinked at him, the red head gave him a clasp on the back.

"With all the effort you put into that kiss, one would think you would be pretty worn out by now."

Roxas could actually see the musician's skin catch fire, and in seconds, Demyx was far ahead of Naminé in face coloring.

For a moment, he seemed completely off track. To the point where his lower lip actually quivered. Then, his arm shot out and tugged firmly at Axel's fiery hair. Axel yelped in pain and tried to swat Demyx's hand away, failing helplessly.

"First of all," Demyx's voice was a low hiss, but even though it was not loud, the desperation was all but evident, "how I kiss, and who I kiss is not your business, second of all, at least I _have_ someone to kiss, and third of all, you're stupid!" He let go of the other boy with an angry wheeze.

"What did you just say?!" Axel was gaping.

Demyx glared heatedly at him, "I said, you're stupid! S-t-u-p-i-d!"

"No!" Axel shook his head rapidly. "No, no, before that!"

Demyx furrowed his brows questioningly. Axel responded by hitting him in the shoulder, making the blonde whine.

"You said I have no one to kiss!"

Demyx, still rubbing his injured arm frowned at him. "Yeah, you don't!"

Axel looked aghast. "I do too!"

The musician's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Really? Who?"

Axel's mouth opened and closed for a split second, and Roxas could truly visualize his brain cells working like crazy. Then, just like that, a broad smirk manifested itself on his lips.

A smirk that made Roxas shudder.

The shuddering increased drastically when, in a slow motion, Axel spun around and fixed him with an expression that made the blonde tremble roughly.

_God. _

_This cannot be good._

* * *

_A/N: Yeah, I know it was a bit.. stiff? But still, this chapter is an upload.. in the next, there WILL be some things happening! ..Or a lot actually! Hope you enjoyed! And Taiki Kou, still my lovely beta!! THANK YOU!_

_So please review if you want to! Thank you all for liking! _


	12. Chapter 12

**Warnings:** This story contains Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything... Except the plot.. YAY!

**A/N: Chapter twelve is up! Please enjoy!

* * *

**

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twelve_

_"Insanity and judging"_

_-_

Roxas did not understand what was happening as Axel's sparkling, green eyes drew closer and closer to him. The music pounded in his ears, along with his heartbeats, and without his permission, his mouth fell open. The look Axel was wearing scared him more than he cared to admit, and he could feel his eyes grow big with bewilderment. Suddenly it was like the room darkened. He was wrapped up in darkness, and much like the first time he saw Mr. Valentine, he felt extremely intimidated and not to mention terrified. Nevertheless, at the same time, he could not get rid of the hopeful and excited feeling that materialized in his chest.

A hand was firmly placed at the blonde's shoulder, as another one encircled his waist. Still with their gazes locked, the red head drew Roxas closer and all of a sudden his face was only inches away. Roxas whimpered vaguely, and a wave of fear and desire rushed through him. His eyes fell on Axel's full, red lips, and the scent of cinnamon and smoke tickled in his nose.

_God._

_What was happening?_

He thought he heard Sora gasp somewhere near him, but it seemed strangely dull and far away. All he knew was that the hands that touched him sent waves of fire through his body, and even though he tried to resist the growing covetousness that overcame him, he could not stop his knees from shaking like they were made of jelly. His blood rushed like cars on the highway through his veins, and his heart hammered like an overloaded beatbox.

_Shit._

_He is so close._

_Way too close!_

Roxas wanted to flee.

He wished his legs would obey him, but he seemed to have a life of their own at the moment.

All he could do was to stare.

He watched in puzzlement as the pair of emeralds got so close that the blonde could see the small strips of lime developing from around his pupils.

Then, a shocking jolt shot through him as warm lips covered his. Without approval, his head jerked upwards, as if to meet the pulsing softness coating his mouth and his knees gave in for the second time that evening. The only thing that kept him standing was Axel's hold around his waist.

_Fuck!_

The blonde gasped against Axel's mouth, and suddenly, his lips were pried open and a tongue slid between them.

In his astonished state, the screams and shouts that erupted around him became nothing but echoes and the surroundings were no more than a murky substance partly filling his vision.

He almost thought he was dying when he felt Axel's tongue explore the wet cavern of his mouth, and sparks went off in his head as the hold around his waist tightened, pressing them closer together.

_Oh._

_Shit._

The heat was surrounding him, hunting him down, giving him nowhere to hide. Instantly he was engulfed by flames, and he blonde felt how his whole being melted together with Axel's.

In a flash, Roxas realized this was his first real kiss, and the thought made his head spin faster. He vaguely remembered they were being watched by at least a dozen of people and that he was actually kissing a _guy_, but at that precise moment, how hard he ever tried, he could not find what that truly meant. Even his thoughts were incredibly blurry and incoherent.

He flinched as he felt the red head's teeth nibble at his lower lip, and without thinking, he pressed his lips harder against Axel's. At this point, he was sure he heard Sora whine and in the blurry mass of shadows that symbolized his surroundings, Roxas caught sight of a pair of big, indigo eyes, filled with utter shock and surprise.

Naminé.

Roxas hazily turned his head further in her direction and still with his lips connected to Axel's, he and Naminé locked gazes.

For a couple of seconds, she just stared at him, as if he was not there, then she suddenly turned bright pink and started to giggle, while blinking at him.

Roxas felt his insides heat up, and again, he turned all his attention to the lanky teen that was at the moment_ kissing him._

The battle of their tongues suddenly came to a halt. The other's burning lips were drawn away from his, trailing a line against his cheek, making Roxas shudder violently.

"God, Roxas," Axel's voice was hoarse, and the words were followed by a whimpering chuckle. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Roxas, who was by now all but trembling, leaned heavily against the older boy. He wanted to say something, but could not make himself form a coherent sentence. Besides, he did not trust his voice at all right then. Still, the world around him seemed almost dreamlike, but soon he started to notice more and more of his surroundings. The thoughts he had earlier swatted away came crashing at him, as he suddenly realized exactly what had just happened. He felt himself go unbelievably red, and at that moment he could swear he felt his brain liquefy. He became aware of the stunned gazes that rested on him, and felt his stomach twist violently. Before he knew what he was doing, he buried his head in the crook of Axel's neck and groaned shamefully. He did not even care if his gesture only made the situation worse; he just wanted to hide from everyone and everything.

_Man._

_He had just been kissed by Axel!_

_He had just made-fucking-out with Axel!_

As realization hit him, the blonde whimpered and snuggled further into the red head still holding him. He was now able to hear the agitated whispering coming from everywhere in the room, even over the loud music, and he shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the sound.

Axel's mouth rested against his hair, and the feeling of the red head's lips against him made him quiver slightly. Yet, he did not tear himself away. He just stood there and took in the scent that was so utterly Axel. He smelled warm, like something was burning, but only faintly. The scent reminded Roxas of campfires and marshmallows, and it made him both dazzled and fervent at the same time. He found that he wanted to live and breathe in that smell. To let it fill all of him, head to toes. It was perhaps a silly thought, but at the moment, Roxas found complete truth in it, and the longer he stayed in Axel's arms, the stronger this wish became.

However, he did not have the chance to carry it out, as he was brutally pulled away from the protecting cave that encircled him.

In a rush, he was torn around, until his blue eyes met with similar, sky colored ones.

"Roxas!" Sora looked flabbergasted, and the blonde was sure he'd never seen his twin this shaken. "Roxas, are you okay?!"

In fact, Sora appeared somewhat petrified.

Roxas swallowed.

_Was he okay_

He had just made out with the /Roxas mentally pointed out the exactness his choice of words/ _hottest_ guy ever to walk on earth. Well, at least in his opinion.

Sure, the circumstances could have been different, but the blonde had to admit, even if the latest events were now starting to dawn fully at him, that he had never experienced something so… so… breathtaking!

"Sora," Riku placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, "Sora, I'm sure Roxas is all right." At this, the silver haired teen blinked mischievously at Roxas. "Actually, I would say he seemed rather comfortable—"

"Riku!" Sora, spun around and fixed him with an angry stare, "Roxas was just _maltreated _by someone he barely knows! By Axel!"

"What?!" Axel sounded agape. "Maltreated?! What does that even mean? And what do you mean, _'by Axel'_?"

Sora sent him a murderous glance.

Roxas nearly thought his twin was going to punch the red head or something, but as soon as the thought passed, he threw it away. Sora was not one to use violence.

Still, he was a bit concerned. Sora hardly ever acted like this.

_He is afraid Axel kissed me without permission._

_Well… truth to be told, he did, but… _

Roxas sent Sora another couple of worried glances.

_What was to happen now?_

Before anything else _could_ happen however, Riku firmly grabbed Sora by the collar and pulled him toward himself.

"Jeez, Sora, chill!" Roxas thought he seemed a bit annoyed. "It was nothing but a damn make-out session!"

Sora whirled around in his grip and forced the older boy to let go of him. The expression in his heart-shaped face was no longer angry, just lost.

"But Riku, they are both _guys_!"

Roxas' mouth fell open, and he heard Axel inhale roughly. Naminé and Kairi, who had been watching the whole scene in silence gaped and even Demyx looked staggered by Sora's remark.

_What the hell?_

Roxas could not believe what he'd just heard.

Sora, of all people was the one to point out the fact that Roxas had made out with another boy.

In all his lifetime, the blonde had never met anyone so accepting as Sora. The brunet had always had this amazing way of taking everyone, even the strangest misfits, under his wings. Throughout their whole childhood, Roxas would have to put up with the kids that nobody else wanted to play with, because his brother simply took care of them. Therefore, this sudden outburst from Sora shocked him more than anything had done this evening. Including the kiss!

_How on earth could his twin say something like that, in that almost revolted tone? _

No one said anything. Everyone just stared at Sora. Roxas, who was struggling not to run away from the scene, suddenly felt a soft hand was placed on his shoulder. Without looking, he knew it was Axel, and even if it was just a hand, the gesture seemed oddly comforting and he felt himself lean into the touch.

"Sora…" Riku's voice nearly startled Roxas, and it seemed as if it had the same effect on his brother. There was no anger or intimidation in the silver haired teen's tone, yet his aqua orbs were filled with something akin to despair.

Sora, who was currently stooping his head tilted his chin upwards and looked at his best friend. A nearly scared look plastered on his features.

"Sora, guys do make out," was Riku's quiet remark. Somehow, Roxas thought, yelling would have seemed less dooming and the almost hurt look on Riku's face made the blonde's heart twinge.

Sora seemed to notice it too and his eyes widened slightly while he furrowed his brows.

The brunet bit his lip. Ocean eyes darted from Riku to the others, end eventually locked with Roxas'. For a moment, Sora looked as if he was about to say something, then, all of a sudden, he spun around and ran for the door. From the little glimpse Roxas had gotten of Sora's face as he fled, the blonde could tell his brother was crying.

"I'll go after him." Riku cleared his throat and was about to leave, when Kairi placed a hand on his forearm.

"No, I'll go." She sounded sure, so Riku just shrugged vaguely and watched her as she left.

The rest of their group stood in silence and observed how Riku's eyes darkened gradually, making a gloomy expression evident in his otherwise calm face.

Still, no one uttered a word. The music and the other party guests seemed like they were one the other side of an imaginary wall, a stone wall, nearly impossible to overcome.

After a couple of time-consuming minutes, Demyx was the first to speak.

"So… anybody want a drink?"

* * *

A/N: So... there it was... some Akuroku action! Hehe, sorry for the long wait! I really hope you liked it, and if not; Please let me know! There will be more, so advices are always needed!! Thank you for all the reviews! It makes me extremely happy! Just so you know... Love you all, and especially my dear beta! 


	13. Chapter 13

**Warnings: Yaoi**

**Disclaimer: Not mine... **

**A/N: Chapter 13 is up/Yeah-I'm pointing out the obvious am I not?/ Hope you all enjoy! **

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Thirteen_

_"Mixed Revealings"_

_- _

Sora was not aware of where he was running. All he knew was that he wanted to get away, as fast as possible, away from everything. The party, the music and the people. Away from Roxas, Axel, Kairi, Naminé and Riku…

_Oh god… _

The world around him was completely forgotten as he stumbled through the hallway in Demyx's home. His head was spinning, even though he had not been drinking, and his heart pounded like a hammer. He could tell he was crying, from the small rivers of salt that were running down his cheeks, but the brunet was not able to figure out what that meant at the moment. All he could think was,

_Why?!_

That one word seemed to be written in colossal letters, dancing on his retinas.

_Why?_

_Why, why, why?!_

Sora sobbed heavier. The brunet felt like his heart was tearing its way out of his chest, and he could feel his whole body tremble.

_Why had he said such a thing?!_

_And to Roxas? _

_What the hell was wrong with him?! _

_You know… _

His watery eyes widened at the inner voice's sarcastic remark.

_You know exactly what is wrong… _

The brunet felt his heart clench, and the trembling increased. Waves of fear rushed through him, and he could feel the blood drifting from his face.

"Shut up…" he whimpered treacherously, tears still pouring.

_Why? _

Sora balled his fists. "Because you're wrong!"

_Oh… really? I doubt that…_

The voice became fiercer, and lost the sarcastic tone.

_Stop fooling __yourself!__Stop denying the fact that—_

"SHUT UP! You're wrong!" Sora was screaming now, and he did not care who heard him. All he could think of was getting out. His senses were all blurry, and so was his vision.

_I have to get out… it's…it's, WRONG!_

The sobbing grew stronger, and with a final shaky moan, he reached the front door. In a rush, he threw it open and leaped down the stairs and into the night. That was when he collided with something, or someone. Sora staggered back, and was about to fall on his bum when someone grabbed him firmly by the shirt and yanked him into a standing position. The boy's eyes grew large in confusion, before finally, he saw who it was that had saved him from his ungraceful descent.

"Z—Zexion?"

The other boy smirked faintly at him behind the cascades of lilac hair that partly covered his face.

"No, you idiot, I'm his evil twin brother." A chuckle was evident in the older boy's otherwise steely voice.

Sora did not answer. Still, tears were forcing themselves out in the open, and even though he tried to control the quivering of his body, he was not able to hide the state he was in.

Zexion's silent laugh abruptly came to a halt as he realized what was actually going on.

"Sora? What…is there something wrong?"

Zexion mentally slapped himself for asking such a stupid question. Of course there was something wrong! The boy was crying his eyeballs out!

Zexion frowned, he was not used to comforting other people. He rarely even cared about others. Still, Sora was not just anyone. Zexion did not know the spiky haired boy that well, he could only remember talking to him a few times, but from those moments, he'd gotten a fair amount of impressions. Sora was not like anyone he had ever met. Well… Zexion blushed faintly at the thought, the brunet _did_ sort of remind him of Demyx, but not even the blonde musician had the same enormous heart Sora had. From what Zexion had seen and heard, Sora was like a walking hug. Always there for the ones that needed it, happy and comforting. Therefore, Zexion found himself feeling sad for the younger boy, and noticed he was actually wondering what the reason for all of this could possibly be.

A bit hesitantly, he placed hand on Sora's shoulder, and before Zexion could comprehend what was happening, Sora threw himself against his chest, sobbing like he was dying inside. Zexion, now slightly flabbergasted, suddenly felt his own hand reaching up, starting to rub soothing circles on the smaller boy's back.

_If someone saw me now…_

"Sora!"

The brunet in Zexion's arms jumped roughly.

"No!" He wheezed in panic. Big, cerulean orbs filled with something akin to fear flew up to meet the lilac-haired boy's frosty-blue. "She must not find me! Please…please, Zexion!"

It took a moment for Zexion to realize that Sora was talking about Kairi, as the auburn haired girl's voice became familiar to him.

The lilac haired boy did not know what to think about the whole situation, but seeing the desperate plea in the other's azure eyes, suddenly made him act on impulse. In a hurry, he grabbed hold of Sora's shirt and pulled him towards a set of bushes in Demyx's big garden-complex. They had only just ducked their heads down before the two boys heard a shuffle of feet followed by an upset stamp. Zexion had no problems visualizing the young girl's distressed appearance, and the thought of an angry Kairi almost made him gulp. Although, only almost.

"Sora!"

…

"Sora, please! I know you're out here!"

…

"Please, answer me!"

The two boys lay in silence and listened to Kairi's worried shouts.

Sora has placed his hands over his ears, as if her mere voice was hurting him. Zexion felt how the brunet's body shook and once again he found himself pondering upon the reason for this abnormal behavior. Surely something had happened, but what?

After what seemed like several minutes, Kairi seemed to lose her patience, and they could hear her re-enter the house, slamming the door disappointedly.

Once Sora, whom had been breathing heavily for a couple of seconds, seemed to have calmed down a little, Zexion offered him his hand, and carefully pulled the small brunet upwards. In a companionable manner, the older teen slung his arm around Sora's shoulder, and persuaded with guiding him further into the immense garden.

Reaching a white, little bench surrounded by blossoming roses and a little fountain, Zexion gently told the brunet to sit.

Sora hesitantly took the offer, and sat down, clenching his fists in his lap, head deeply bowed. The lilac haired boy could without any trouble what so ever, see that there was something that bothered Sora immensely.

"Sora, what's wrong?" His voice came out much softer than he'd ever heard it, and Zexion was surprised to find his hand stroking the brunet's curved back. Since when did he start to care? Again, he blamed it on the fact that it was Sora. Zexion surely would not have acted this was if it was someone else sitting beside him, would he?

In a flash, Zexion thought of Demyx and he felt his face go red.

No.

He did not act any different towards Demyx than towards everyone else!

Okay, so maybe he was a bit more tolerant around the blonde, but damn! Who wasn't?

Zexion simply _had_ to stretch his limits on that particular field, had he any hope of the survival of the chirpy blonde. If he was to act on his feelings around Demyx, the musician would've been long gone by now. Strangled or beaten to death. Anyhow, Zexion, despite not wanting to the least, had to admit that he _was_ indeed acting different from usual around Demyx.

Stupid blabbermouth!

At the thought of the blonde's mouth, Zexion blushed heavily and abruptly forced his thoughts away from their current location.

"Sora?" He repeated, his voice still bearing the strange softness he was so unfamiliar with.

Sora sat in the same crouched position, and at first Zexion did not think he was going to answer, or even move, but suddenly, the brunet's head shot up, his big, azure eyes piercing the lilac haired teen.

"Why?"

Zexion blinked. "Erm… why what?"

Sora bit his lip, his eyes watering gradually. "Why did you kiss Demyx?"

As the heat found its way back to Zexion's cheeks, he swallowed hard before answering the unnerving question. "Well, I was forced obviously, because of that bet with Luxord."

He tried to sound sarcastic, but felt how his voice betrayed him.

Sora just shook his head meekly. "No… that's not entirely true…"

Zexion swallowed harder. "No?"

"No…" Sora's voice was hollow, none of his usual cheeriness evident. Zexion thought he sounded sad, heartbroken. "You _kissed_ him."

Zexion stared questioningly at the smaller teen, not quite following him. "Yes?"

Sora took a deep breath, as if to gather his courage, then, he locked gaze with the older teen. "You kissed him, and apparently both of you enjoyed it…"

Zexion's breath caught in his throat.

_Demyx enjoyed kissing him?_

The thought made his stomach flutter violently. He felt a sudden urge to ask Sora if he really believed so, but instead, he managed to stutter a faint, "What?"

Sora bit harder down on his lip, and Zexion was certain it was going to draw blood any minute. The brunet seemed to be struggling with something, and much like Zexion felt himself, Sora appeared to be a bit embarrassed.

"Well, you didn't exactly look as if you were about to puke and you both just seemed so pleased…" he trailed off.

Zexion, who was at a loss of words and therefore found himself incapable of replying, waited for Sora to continue.

"You like him, don't you?" The question came like rain on a sunny day, and made Zexion jump roughly.

"Wha—what?"

Sora smiled sadly. "You do… I can see that."

Zexion did not know what to say.

Did he like Demyx?

Well… Technically, everybody liked Demyx. There was absolutely no way you could avoid

liking him, or getting somehow attached to him once you'd met him. He always found a way

to worm himself inside your heart.

Yet, Zexion was the only one making out with him.

_It was a bet goddammit!_

_Yes… But you still enjoyed it…_

Zexion scowled at his own thoughts.

He supposed he liked the hyper blonde to some extent.

At least enough not to murder him when he was on his most annoying.

_Gah, who was he even kidding?! _

The lilac haired boy groaned. He was defeated.

"Yes, Sora, I suppose I do like Demyx."

Sora nodded, his brown mess of spikes quivering slightly. "And you're not afraid?"

At this Zexion chuckled, he simply could not help himself. "Yeah, you'd think one would be scared shitless to find that Demyx is the object of one's attraction." He finished the sentence with a small laugh.

Sora blushed faintly. "No! That's no what I meant… I—I just… He's your friend right?"

Zexion mused at this. Sure, in Demyx's opinion, Zexion was a friend, no doubt abut that, but what about himself?

Zexion found that he had never really thought about it.

Ever since he had gotten to know the musician, the lilac haired boy had been putting up this emotionless façade. Whenever he was around Demyx, he pretended not to care for some reason. He had always told himself the explanation for this was that if he was to act like he cared, the blonde would have been even more annoying, but in this weird state of understanding and insight, Zexion thought he saw beyond that lame excuse.

He'd been hiding his real emotions around Demyx, simply because he felt somewhat intimidated by him. This thought was fairly new to Zexion, but with it, everything appeared so much clearer. He was… he _cared_ for Demyx. More than he had ever cared for anyone. This inner confession made Zexion gulp, and without thinking he blurted out;

"You're right. I really do like him. And, yes, Demyx is my friend, or at least I see that he is now. I always kind of thought I was the one holding him at my mercy, but now it occurs to me that it is quite the opposite. He's always had me nailed."

Where this sudden rush of speech came from, Zexion did not know, but he just couldn't stop the words from pouring. "Demyx was always there, even though I was in a cranky mood. Well, even though I was_ always_ in a cranky mood. He did not care if I responded, never once did he get upset because of my gloomy behavior. He…he just stayed around."

Zexion took a deep breath before continuing.

"I—Sora, I think I'm in love with him…" For a moment, everything froze, and Zexion felt his heart skip at least a couple of beats, then as realization dawned upon him, he knew it was true.

He glanced at Sora to see brunet's reaction. He did not know what he'd expected, but it was for sure not a painful smile, so sad that it made Zexion want to cry.

"Sora, wha—", he was cut off by the shorter teen, who placed a hand on his forearm.

Zexion frowned as Sora inhaled deeply before he penetrated the older teen with a look of pure bewilderment.

"You don't think it's weird?" Sora's voice was weak, and his breathings came in short puffs.

"Think what is weird?"

Still oddly troubled, the brunet lowered his head. "Kissing a guy? Your guy-friend?"

"Well," Zexion pondered about it for a while before continuing, "maybe I ought to be embarrassed, but I'm not… I mean, at first I was just shocked, but now, well, I couldn't regret it if I wanted to." Zexion wondered for a moment where his mind was, as he was opening up like this to Sora, but quickly threw the thinking away. He figured it was just as important for him to say this, as it was for Sora to hear it.

While upon that term, _why_ did the brunet ask all those question anyway?

"Sora, why are you so interested in this? Is me kissing Demyx the reason why you're sad?"

Sora paled visibly. "No! I—I just…"

Zexion stopped him. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me."

Sora stooped his head further. "No… It's just that I said some pretty horrible things to Roxas after Axel kissed him, and—"

"Axel kissed Roxas?" Zexion knitted his brows.

"When?"

"Yeah…" Soras nodded, "just after the lights went out. Demyx sort of dared Axel to kiss him and, well…"

Zexion could not keep the laughter from erupting. "Oh, really, is that so? Heh, I can imagine our stubborn red head did not allow himself to lose pride?"

"Yeah… something like that."

Zexion chuckled quietly. "I'll say…" then he remembered Sora's words. "What kind of things did you say to him?"

Sora bit his lip and tears once again welled up in his eyes. "I said," he sniffed, "that Axel maltreated him, and…" he had to stop because of a large sob that tore its way from him, "I accused him of doing something…something _wrong_!"

Zexion swallowed. "You mean you have something against—"

"No!" Sora nearly yelled, his eyes wide with panic. "No, I was just upset because I…I… Because Axel…he…and Roxas…and I'm…"

"You like Axel?" Zexion furrowed his brows, getting more confused by the second.

"No! Not Axel!" After the words had left him, Sora clasped a hand over his mouth and gawked at Zexion. He was white as a ghost and his eyes were unbelievably big.

"Is there someone else? Sora are you—" before he got the chance to finish, Sora leapt up from his crouched position and fled. Zexion could not even blink before the brunet had totally disappeared in the shadows.

For a moment, Zexion sat completely still, then he made a whistling sound.

"I should have known…"

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! It still makes my heart flutter! I love you all, and especially my wonderful beta! 

The next chapter will probably include a lot more AkuRoku and som RikuSora. Thanks again! HUGS


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning:** Yaoi! (And if you don't know what it means, _LOOK IT UP GODDAMMIT!_)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own... unfortunately...

**A/N:** Please enjoy and THANK YOU for reviewing!! You guys are all so nice!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Fourteen_

_"The Likes of Fire" _

_- _

Riku's eyes never seemed to leave the spot were Sora had disappeared earlier that night. Though the surroundings slowly but unmistakably grew back to the way they were before, although people were chatting as loud and happy as usual, his aqua orbs did not lose their stormy façade. It appeared somehow like he was physically there, but mentally far away.

The otherwise mischievous, nearly arrogant smirk that used to play in the corner of his mouth was long gone, and his features seemed paler than usual.

Roxas could not help feeling sorry for the silver haired teen, and although he could not understand exactly what was bothering Riku so badly, he wished there was something he could do to make that empty look in the other's face go away.

Not wanting to see those sorrowful eyes, he turned away from the older teen, and started to make his way out to the balcony. Kairi and Naminé were off fetching drinks, and Roxas somehow hoped they wouldn't bother bringing him one. He really did not feel like drinking.

As he passed groups of partly drunk teenagers, dancing and laughing like they had no troubles in the world, he felt strangely left out, and heavy sigh found its way to his lips.

"Hey," a soft voice interrupted his sappy train of thoughts, and the hand that was placed on his shoulder made him jump involuntarily. He turned to find Axel standing behind him, giving him a worried look.

"You okay?"

Roxas swallowed. Having Axel so close, considering what had happened earlier, made his insides boil and his whole body tremble slightly. After Sora's outburst, Roxas had not been able to focus on the fact that he had been kissing the red head in public. Ever since his twin had ran away, the blonde had been in a pretty astounded state and this left his memory of the last half an hour in a foggy blur, but now, when his shock had somewhat settled, the realizations came crashing at him like atomic bombs.

"Y-yes, I—"

"Shush, Roxy," Axel placed a finger on his lips, making the smaller teen squirm, "No need to lie. You can tell me, you know that."

Roxas' eyes fell to the floor. "Yeah… well, I guess I'm sort of…" he trailed off.

"Embarrassed?"

Blue eyes darted to meet emerald ones. "No…"

"Sad?"

"Well… No, not really."

There was a slight pause and Roxas heard the red head inhale deeply.

"Regretful?"

"No!"

Even before the word had fully left his mouth, the blonde felt himself reddening considerably. His cursed his body, which had by now achieved the status of a solemn traitor, and bit his lower lip in discomfort. Axel, however did not seem to care about his awkward state, as Roxas heard the red head give an amused chuckle followed by a content sight. He flinched violently as he felt Axel lean closer and his heart hammered in his chest when he felt the others breath against his face.

"Neither am I, Sunshine." Axel murmured and wrapped his arms around Roxas' waist.

The blonde could practically hear his blood rush through his veins, and nearly choked as the red head placed a warm set of lips against his cheek.

Roxas thought he'd have a heart attack if this sort of contact was going to continue. He was about to pull away, but before he got the chance, Axel let go of him and held the smaller blonde out to look him over. Roxas felt a bit crushed under the piercing gaze, and once again his skin caught fire.

This evoked a quiet laugh from the red head, and before Roxas could contemplate on what happened, Axel had pulled him close again, making their noses touch.

"You really are too cute Roxy…"

'Roxy', who was by now scowling at the nickname, reddened even more, and his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the red head lick his lips tentatively. He shivered meekly as spidery, warm fingers cupped his cheek and gulped when he found the other teen's hips bucking slightly against his own.

"You know…" Axel smirked faintly, "You can pull away if you have any indications to what I am about to do…"

Roxas however, did not pull away.

Some indefinable force inside of him made it completely impossible to move, as the red head leaned closer.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then…"

And with that, Axel's lips descended upon his. Roxas, for the second time that evening, felt like he was about to explode. When the red head pried his mouth open, his eyes fluttered closed and he let out the breath he'd been holding.

The warmth that spread in every single corner of his body nearly made him whimper as the red head devoured his mouth.

The kiss was deliberate.

Their tongues danced lazily against one another, and allowed Roxas to taste the red head properly.

Axel tasted like fire. That was the only word that seemed to fit.

_Fire._

The more he thought about it, the more he agreed with himself. Axel was fire. And as for himself, he was engulfed by his flames.

Slowly, the red head pulled away and their eyes locked.

For a moment, he just stared at the blonde, then he opened his mouth to speak.

"That was—"

"Completely _extraterrestrial_!"

Both teens jumped a little and spun around.

Demyx's eyes were big, and his facial expression matched one of a stranded fish gasping for air.

Axel quirked an eyebrow.

"Extraterrestrial?"

Demyx, who still hadn't closed his mouth shook his head a little.

"Yeah, that means—"

"I know what it means!" Axel blurted, "The question is, how the hell_you_ know?"

The blonde musician, who by now seemed to have regained his ability to move, pouted.

"I know what thing means! Just because I'm not a smart-ass like you, it does not mean I'm not educated!" His glare sent daggers.

"Well, I wouldn't be to sure about that…"

Demyx spun around so fast, Roxas was surprised his feet still remained attached to the ground, and his mouth fell open once again as he regarded the lilac haired teen standing before him.

"Hey…" Zexion, now losing his teasing smirk, stooped his head a little, still eyeing the mohawked teen.

"H—hi." Demyx _stuttered?_

Roxas could not suppress the snigger that escaped him and he heard Axel chuckle at his side. The look of utter disturbance in Demyx's face was simply too hilarious. Only moments later, both he and Axel were barking out in laughter and the volume only increased as the blonde musician turned a deeper shade of purple.

"What's so goddamn funny?!"

The two boys only laughed harder. Demyx was practically fuming and Roxas was surprised not to see smoke steaming from his ears.

However, he could not reply, as he was currently busy trying to survive the massive fit of laughter.

"I would not interfere, but I believe you are the object of their amusement Demyx…" Zexion declared mischievously.

The blonde fixed him with a fierce glare. "I know that!"

"But aren't you a pure genius!" Axel managed to choke out between laughs.

Roxas nearly sank to his knees and had to be supported by the red head not to topple over. Tears poured out of his eyes and his breath came in short gasps. Despite his blurry vision, Roxas became aware that Kairi and Naminé had returned with drinks, both of them looking faintly befuddled as they regarded the livid musician.

Demyx, now resembling the color of a feverish strawberry, threw his arms in the air and groaned heatedly.

"Gah! You're all just a bunch of… of—"

"Want me to fetch you a dictionary, Dem?" Riku's sarcastic voice hit Demyx like a stab in the back, making him yelp in a frenzy and whirl around to face the silver haired teen that had just appeared. Panting with frustration, he pointed a finger at him,

"And you! You be quiet! Conspirator!"

"Don't be such a drama-queen Dem," Axel breathed, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

"Drama-queen?! I am NO such thing!"

The blonde musician flailed his arm in his usual way and nearly ended up knocking over a girl that unfortunately tried to pass him.

This, of course, only evoked more laughter from the group.

"Argh! You people annoy the hell out of me!"

At this, practically everyone fell to the floor.

"You—", Riku coughed, "— should really not be talking about annoying people."

Demyx let out a bark of resentment and crossed his arms over his chest with an irritated huff.

"Now, Dem, please try not to take it too personally…" Axel's voice was far from sincere and the laughter that threatened to break any time only made the impression less earnest.

"We're just talking about bothersome people in—" he struggled hard not to burst, "—general."

Laughter exploded again.

Roxas thought his lungs were going to collapse any minute, and considering Axel's flaming face and erratic breathing, the red head was in a similar condition. Riku held a hand over his mouth and he was shaking a good deal. Zexion was the only one who seemed at least a tiny bit collected. He too had his arms crossed, but an amused smirk was present in the corner of his mouth. Nevertheless, he was eyeing the fuming blonde with slight concern.

Roxas thought for a second he too should've been a bit worried, when it seemed like the musician was about to have a heart attack, but before anything like that had a chance to happen, Kairi cried out.

"Sora!"

All eyes turned to follow her gaze.

Sora was standing a few feet away, watching them while biting his lips. He looked like he had been running and his azure eyes were glazed with tears. After a long moment of silence, he opened his mouth to speak, and when he did, his eyes locked with Roxas'.

"I'm—"

"I know."

Sora's lower lip quivered. "No, Roxas, really!"

He stifled a sob, "I really, truly am! I don't know why I said those things, and I _know_ it was cruel! You're my brother, and I don't care who you make out with!" Ha glanced swiftly at Axel, "may it be girl or a boy, or…or Axel!" At this, the red head chuckled slightly, but quickly turned serious as Sora continued after taking a deep breath.

"You mean the world to me, and I love you so much!"

Roxas felt his own eyes watering.

"You've always supported me, no matter what kind of stupid things I've done, and…"

"…And I never should have said anything so….so—"

"Brainless?"

Riku's voice was harsh and it made Sora jump roughly.

Roxas turned to look at him, and was shocked by the smug teen's expression. Aqua orbs were cold as ice and his jaws were clenched tightly. Sora whimpered slightly, and his gaze fell to the floor. Judging by the shaking of his shoulders, his twin was crying.

"Riku," Roxas hurried over to the brunet and put an arm around him, almost at the exact time as Kairi did the same thing.

The auburn haired girl slipped her hands around Sora's head and pulled him to her chest.

"Riku, it's okay. Really."

Sora was trembling uncontrollably and the heavy sobs that escaped him made Roxas' heart twinge. He rubbed Sora's back gently, "Sora, please stop crying…", and squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay."

"No, it's not…"

Roxas head shot up to meet Riku's icy stare. He felt his insides heat up at the look and moved a few steps away from the quivering brunet. "Yes, Riku! It's okay to me! It's my business and beside—"

"Hey!" Everyone was surprised to see Zexion step in between the two teens. "Roxas, just take Sora home will you? I think he's had enough for one night." He gave Roxas a funny look, as if he was trying to inform him about something. Then, he turned to Riku, "And _you,_ Riku, should forget your pride and try to use your head for one minute!"

Everyone gasped, and Roxas was sure he heard Demyx whine in shock. Riku looked as if someone had slapped him, but just as the blonde thought he was going to jump Zexion, he turned around and walked away promptly.

Not even Demyx tried to break the silence that followed.

* * *

A/N: So... there... I'm terribly sorry for taking so long, and there is absolutely NO excuse! I hope you're still there though! Love you all!

-Vi sees-


	15. Chapter 15

**Warnings:** This is yaoi.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters.

**A/N:** Chapter 15 is up!

Sorry for the wait, I had an operation so I had to take it slow for a couple of days, but now I'm back! Please enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Fiftheen_

_"Meetings in the Morning" _

_-_

Roxas awoke in his bed and sat up rubbing his eyes in a state of typical morning confusion. The blue curtains were blowing swiftly in the morning breeze and rays of sunshine had just begun to slither their way into his room.

As he tried to comprehend why he was still wearing his shirt and why his morning-breath was harsher than usual, he flipped his covers away and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. After pulling on the pajama pants that always lay in the foot-end of his bed, he rose and moved for the bathroom. On his way he passed a pile of discharged clothes and his brows furrowed further. Then he randomly bit his lip and found it was actually sore and swollen.

_Oh._

The blonde's eyes widened as memories of the previous night came swooping into his mind.

_Oh, dear._

Feeling how his face reddened, he remembered how he had been kissed by a certain red head, not only once, but several times. He blushed even harder when he memorized said red head's touches and words and felt his stomach flutter unpleasantly when remembering his own reactions as well. At first, he was unsure of weather it had been a dream or not, but the pile of clothes and the fact that his teeth had not been brushed the previous night inclined that he'd been up pretty late and therefore been to tired to actually care about hygiene or cleaning.

He shook his head a little and proceeded entering the bath room. As he regarded himself in the mirror, the blonde found he looked like shit.

"Ah…Damn…"

The, he wondered what the time might be, and after doing his necessities in the bath room, he sauntered back to the bed and found his watch on the nightstand.

"Twelve-thirty? God…" He mumbled tiredly to himself, wondering why his twin had not woken him up. Sora was usually up a lot earlier than him.

Then, he remembered.

"Sora!"

Roxas had never considered himself a morning person, and therefore the speed he managed to attain when running over to Sora's bedroom was, in his opinion, pretty impressive.

Panting from exhaustion _-God, it has only been twenty feet!- _he reached his brother's bedroom door, and after hesitating a moment, he knocked. From the outside, he could see that the door was locked, and he felt his heart drop when there nothing but silence followed.

"Sora?"

"…"

Roxas swallowed. Then, he reached out and knocked again, harder this time.

"Sora!"

Still, nothing but silence. Roxas scowled.

"Sora! I know you're in there, so open the damn door!" He winced a little at his own stern tone, and hoped Sora would not be offended. To ensure his twin that he was not angry, he laid his cheek to the wooden surface and uttered softly, "I'm not mad, just…please open?"

There was a long pause, and finally, the blonde heard movements, followed by a shuffle of feet. The door was unlocked with a short click and he carefully pushed it open.

Sora looked even worse than him and from the brunet's red eyes and swollen cheeks, Roxas could tell that his twin had spent the night crying quite a lot. His spiky hair was messier than usual and also he was wearing yesterday's outfit. Roxas figured his twin had been too much of a mess last night to actually remember how to undress, and feeling how his heart ached, he remembered the car-ride back home with Cloud. Sora had been crying heartbreakingly in the back seat, making Cloud extremely worried, to the point where had nearly insisted on turning down his appointment with Tifa and Mr. Leonheart, but Roxas had at last managed to convince him that he would take care of it.

He made a little smile, thinking about Cloud.

Knowing his older brother and his morning-habits, Cloud had probably left several hours ago, and Roxas would bet his left foot that there was breakfast waiting for him and Sora in the fridge.

"Hey…"

Roxas was a bit startled when he heard the other's raspy voice. Apparently he had not been mistaking about the crying-thing.

"Hey, Sora." He made no effort to smile, seeing as he did not see a reason to do so. After hesitating a moment, Sora made a gesture towards the bed, and Roxas followed him into the room and plopped down on it. They just sat like that for a moment, neither knowing where to start. Roxas could hear the faint sound of cars driving past outside, and some kids were laughing down the street. Sora seemed lost in his own thoughts, as he rubbed his thighs mechanically while staring out to space.

"So…" Roxas finally interrupted the piercing silence. "How are you doing today?"

His twin shook his head a little before answering, making brown locks flutter into his eyes. "Fine I suppose…"

Roxas nodded. "Good."

Silence fell once again, and this time, the blonde was sure he could hear the pounding of his own heart. His mind drifted away, and suddenly, he found himself thinking of Axel again. A small grin crept its way to his lips as he recalled the last five minutes of the previous night's events. Just before Cloud called and said he was waiting outside Demyx's, the red head had pulled Roxas aside and given him a small peck on the cheek.

"Thank you for tonight."

Roxas had blushed madly, and before neither of them knew it, they were kissing again, this time hot and passionate, not stopping before Zexion had nearly dragged them apart telling Roxas to get Sora home.

As the memory faded away, Roxas turned his attention back to the present and Sora.

Their eyes met and—

"Roxas I—"

"Sora I—"

It took only a second for both of them to burst out in giggles and another couple of seconds to regain seriousness. Roxas opened his mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off by Sora, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Roxas, before you say anything… There's something I want you to know." He paused a little, swallowing dimly. Roxas thought he could tell where his twin was heading, so before Sora could go any further, he grabbed one of the burnet's hands and pulled his to his chest.

"Sora, listen, I don't care about last night. You've already said you're sorry, and that's more than enough. Like you said, you'd support me whatever I decide to do with my life, because that's what brothers do! This is no different. I forgive you, no wait, there really isn't anything to forgive! You made a mistake, and that's all! Please try to forget about it too! You—"

"No." Sora cut him off again.

"No, that… that's not it… Well, yeah, I'm still sorry, and I still mean all the things I said yesterday. About me supporting you whatever you do, and all that stuff… But…" Roxas furrowed his brows. "But there is something else…"

"Roxas… I think… I think I might be—"

"Sunshine!" Both Sora and Roxas jumped violently, both of them pointedly confused. They stared at each other.

"Wha—"

"Sunshine!"

Without further hesitation, the twins moved across the room and over to the window.

As Roxas pulled the curtains away, batting his eyelids laboriously at the sharp sunlight, the thought he saw someone standing on the lawn underneath his own bedroom window. A certain someone with fiery red hair.

"Axel!"

The red head turned his head rapidly and blinked up at Roxas. After a moment of confusion, a somewhat shy grin spread across his features.

"Hey…" He scratched the back of his head and shrugged a little.

Roxas could not help it, he was smiling from ear to ear. "Hey there, Axel."

The red head beamed. "Look, Roxas I was wo—Oh hey Sora!"

Sora had stepped up behind Roxas and was waving a hand unobtrusively at the red head.

"How are you feeling today?"

The brunet made a small smile, and a faint blush covered his cheeks. "Fine… thank you." Clearly, he remembered his actions towards Axel the last night, and was embarrassed.

Axel, however, just grinned. "Good. Nice to see you smiling for once Spiky!"

Sora relaxed a bit and gave Roxas a push in the shoulder. "Yeah… I'll leave you two alone then."

At this, Roxas squirmed a bit, but he quickly gained composure, and with that his brain functions. "Uhm, Axel? Don't you wanna' come in?"

For a moment, the lanky teen looked hesitant, but the next he nodded and flashed the blonde a big, cheerful grin. "Sure Roxy, that would be nice!"

Roxas made a quick jiggle and closed the window rapidly before he almost ran for the door. On his way downstairs, he nearly tripped over Sora who seemed to be rubbing the living room floor with his nose, muttering something about a missing remote.

Roxas raised an eyebrow at this, gaze traveling to the couch, where indeed the remote lay, screaming for attention, but chose not to make a comment about it. If nothing else, it could be fun to see how incredibly dense his twin could be.

He therefore went to unlock the door, his still bare feet making rasping sounds when sliding over the carpet.

As he passed the mirror in the hall, he hastily raked a hand through his hair and straightened his shirt. Not that is was any use in that, it was exceptionally crinkled after he'd slept in it.

_Great. _

_Axel's gonna thing I'm some sort of smelly beast._

Axel however did not seem to notice anything like that when Roxas finally opened the door and greeted him with a shy smile. The red head just smiled back and brushed strains of fire out of his cat-shaped emeralds. Their gazes locked and Roxas felt his cheeks flush, and he swallowed uncertainly. After staring at each other for a couple of seconds, Axel broke the silence.

"So… Roxy… the reason I'm here…" Roxas furrowed his brows. The red head sounded really serious.

_Oh,__God._

_Did he regret last night?_

"I… When I woke up this morning, I kinda' thought about last night and…"

Roxas swallowed and bowed his head a little. "Yeah?"

Axel bit his lip timidly before continuing. "And, well, maybe we have gone a bit too fast about all of this?"

Roxas felt his stomach clench.

_Too fast__, huh? _

That could only mean one thing.

Axel was tired of him, and this was his way if saying so.

The blonde did not know what to answer. All he did was stamping his foot into the carpet, like he was trying to extinguish a fire. Somehow, he felt the exact same way inside.

"So…" Axel's voice was cautious. "So maybe we ought to start, you know, over?"

Roxas blinked. He had not been expecting that.

The red head pinched the bridge of his nose and continued rapidly.

"I mean, you don't really know me all that well, and even though I have to admit it sorta' feels like it, I don't know you too well either. I mean, we met only a week ago, and now… we're all of a sudden… You know… I mean…Maybe we could spend a bit more time together and…"

Roxas could not stop the laughter that escaped him.

_Axel faltering?_

He felt extremely relieved and at the same time enormously amused.

Before he knew it, he was choking out in laughter and clutching his sides hard not to fall over.

Axel looked confused, and Roxas thought he had to explain the laughter, but every time he tried to open his mouth a new fit of laughter broke out. Therefore, without seeing any other opportunity, he reached out, pulled at Axel's t-shirt and claimed the red head's lips.

Axel seemed a bit startled at first, which made Roxas hum in amusement, but soon after,

when he regained his seriousness, he broke the kiss and looked sincerely up at the red head.

"You're absolutely right." He gave Axel his warmest smile. "I would really appreciate to get to know you!"

The red head took a moment to absorb the words, then his face broke into a divine grin, and his green eyes sparkled with cheerfulness.

"Then how about a date?"

* * *

A/N: So, there it was! Thanks for teh reviews you guys! You simply are amazing! I had to get this posted real fast, or at least I felt like it, so it's not beta-ed! Hope it's still readable, and that you enjoy it! From now on, I believe I will have loads of time to write, seeing as I have to stay home after the opreation giggles not every operation is a bad one! Loads of love! Take care! 

-Schubi-


	16. Chapter 16

Warnings: This story contains Yaoi

Disclaimer: I don't own...

A/N: Chapter 16 -wow, that many chapters! Squee- is up! Hope you all enjoy!

And thank you so much for reviewing! That makes me want to write so much faster! You guys are the best!

-Showers readers in flowers and cakes and cookies and.. uhm.. salmon?-(Best thing I can think of! XD)

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Sixteen_

_"Forgotten and Revealed"_

_-_

"So, is this the only movie you like, haven't seen?" Roxas' eyes were wide, and his mouth hung slightly open.

Axel chuckled and ruffled the shorter teen's blond spikes. "Well, let's just say that I'm sort of addicted to every thing that can be associated with a TV."

Roxas laughed. "You really are a TV-slave aren't you?"

The red head shrugged and grinned madly. "Yeah, sue me if you feel like it!"

Roxas just shook his head in awe.

They were on their way to Roxas' house after renting some sort of scary movie from the local video-store. It had been a task almost impossible to overcome, seeing as Axel seemed to have seen about every single movie in the world, but after a good half an hour, they had finally managed to make a decision. Even though Roxas was not a particularly fan of vampires, he'd agreed to watch it, simply because he didn't care, as long as he saw it with a certain red head.

On the way home, Axel had slid an arm around the blonde's waist and now they were walking down the street in a very couple-like manner.

Neither of them cared about the people shooting glances their way, or the cars that seemed to somehow slow down on their pace as they drove by, they were both perfectly happy with their position.

Roxas smiled as he remembered their conversation earlier. Both boys had been rather determined to start 'over', and they had agreed that they would simply start to spend more time together without 'maltreating' each other, as Axel had called it, pointing a gaze at Sora who had blushed madly.

The fact that Roxas' mother had called and said that she would not come home before the next day made the situation even better, seeing as they had the house to themselves. Sora would be there of course, but that didn't really matter. Roxas was just happy his twin felt better and even Axel seemed to be content with having the brunet around.

Apparently, his mother had met some old friend, an unknown Mr. Highwind, and had decided to stay away for one more night. Cloud had yet to return from his 'date', but Roxas assumed he would be cool enough to let the twins have the house to themselves for only one night.

Therefore, video-night with Axel seemed like a rather good idea, and Roxas felt how the corner of his mouth turned upwards as Axel's hand found his.

"Nice to see that smile on your face, Sunshine."

Roxas blushed at this and squeezed the red heads hand.

"Yeah, feels good too."

Axel laughed softly and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Then he leaned back and grinned mischievously. "I know we're not supposed to make that sort of physical contact Sunshine, but I just couldn't control myself."

Roxas punched him jokingly in the shoulder. "Yeah, watch yourself there! Or I might actually sue you for real!"

Axel's brows rose high above his hairline, and with a little huff, he grabbed hold of the blonde's chin and pulled his head upwards so their noses were touching.

"Oh, yeah?" The glint in his cat-shaped emeralds made Roxas shiver and the smirk that rested on the red head's lips was all but evil. "Could you really do that Roxas?"

The blonde swallowed harshly. Still after all the times he had kissed Axel, he could not help the killer-butterflies in his stomach from attacking every time they touched.

"Because," Axel leaned in, brushing his lips against Roxas', "I don't think you could…"

"Oh, but ain't you two a sugary sight?!"

The teens leaped away from each other and spun around to find the possessor of the voice.

There, about five feet away stood a familiar, lanky figure.

Red hair, much like Axel's but in a slightly darker tone was tied in a ponytail and flowed down a gangly shoulder, and a broad smirk was plastered in an extremely smug face. Green emeralds twinkled with tomfoolery and Roxas was sure that not even Mr. Valentine would manage to look eerier.

"Reno."

"There you go sweetie, knowing my name and all." The older red head leered.

"Shut up Reno!" Axel did not sound all too threatening and a little smile was playing in the corner of his mouth.

The other sniggered. "As if you'd know the terms of shutting up Axel."

Said teen laughed. "Hey! At least I know when it's appropriate to interrupt someone!"

Kairi's older brother just grinned and gave Axel a thumb up. "Way to put it!" Then he seemed to remember something. His eyes fell on Roxas and an enlightened expression appeared on his face.

"Yo, Roxas! You happen to know where your brother is?"

Roxas tilted his head to the side. "Huh? My brother?"

Reno raised a brow. "Yeah? Your brother, the sulky guy with gravity-defying hair."

Axel laughed and Roxas tried to hold back a chuckle. "Oh, you mean Cloud?"

"Duh uh…" Reno rolled his eyes.

"Well, as far as I know, he's spending the day with Mr. Leonheart and your girlfriend, so maybe you ought to be the one who knows?"

Reno shook his head. "No, that's why I asked. Haven't heard from her all day."

Axel smirked. "Maybe she's gone tired of you. Spending time with two good looking guys like Cloud and Mr. Leonheart might've made her see reason."

Reno narrowed his eyes dangerously at Axel. "And what precisely do you mean by that?"

Axel shrugged. "Oh, nothing, just… Maybe, you're being degraded?"

The other red head just scoffed. "By who? Sulky and Gloomy? Cos' believe me, I know that Mr. Leonheart too. Scary as hell for sure, but you'd have to search for years to find someone to match that moodiness. Except, maybe you could've avoided it if you knew Cloud, they're kinda' on the same page."

This last comment made both Axel and Roxas laugh pretty hard, and Reno's lopsided grin grew wider. Just as he was about to say something more, a high pitched voice echoed through the streets. "Reno!"

Kairi, who had been the one calling, was standing in the middle of the road, her arms full of shopping bags in multiple colors and shapes. Roxas was not surprised to find Naminé standing next to her, with a shy smile resting upon her pale lips. The blonde girl was only carrying a few bags, and Roxas suspected Kairi to be the one that had dragged Naminé along to shop.

"Hey Roxas! Axel!" Kairi sounded genuinely happy to see them, and both she and Naminé looked as if they were in high spirits. Of course, Roxas thought, that could easily be because of the shopping. Girls seemed to have this unique way of being affected by that.

As the teens said their hellos Reno walked over to the girls.

"So, sis, I see you ended up buying the whole store. Good choice, bet mom and dad will be really pleased with you!" Naminé giggled.

"Shut up Reno!" Kairi snarled and made a rather ugly gesture with her hand. Ignoring her brother's dramatic gasp, she turned her attention to Axel and Roxas, her face relaxed and suddenly she was practically beaming at them.

"So, you two are like what? A couple now?"

Roxas felt his ears go red, and without thinking, he stepped a few inches away from the red head. Axel, however, grinned, and caught his arm. He twirled the blonde around so that their eyes met, and while looking deep into Roxas', he stated in a calm voice; "Well, that depends on Sunshine here…"

Roxas blushed harder, and the fact that both Kairi and Naminé were giggling madly only made the situation worse.

"So Roxas, what's it gonna' be?" Axel almost purred.

Roxas felt his stomach begin to boil, as always when Axel was that close, and he could swear the butterflies in his stomach were playing tennis, as much as they stirred.

Then, suddenly, he remembered Axel's earlier stuttering, and all at once, he felt much more confident in himself. He felt his mouth tug upwards in a devilish grin, and in a second, the butterflies fell dead to the bottom of his belly. Axel seemed to notice the change of expression, because his eyes went wide and he managed to choke out a little yelp before he was brutally pulled against the blonde's lips.

The kiss was chaste, but powerful, and it left Roxas a bit dazzled, even though he'd been the one starting it.

Axel on the other hand, seemed to be agape, his moth opening and closing in a very goldfish-like manner. "Whoa, Sunshine—did you—did you just—?"

Roxas smirked, a gesture that made the red head's mouth open even wider.

"You wanted an answer didn't you? And don't forget, you said it was all up to me."

Axel still appeared too shocked for words, so Reno was the one who broke the silence with a long whistle. "Well, well, well, Axel the almighty just lost his speech? How inconvenient!"

At his words, Axel seemed to finally wake up, and his emerald eyes narrowed treacherously.

"You keep it shut Slowpoke!"

Reno just chuckled. "Yes, Sir! All right, Sir! Whatever you say, Sir! You're totally—"

"That's enough, Reno!" Kairi sounded somewhat exasperated.

Her older brother just flashed her a smile and batted his eyelashes. "Oh, but of course Milady! Whatever you sa—"

"Reno!"

The haughty red head jumped roughly at the sound of his name. Also now, it came from a female, but this time, it sure was not his little sister.

The others watched in awe, as his otherwise smug features changed into utterly angelic ones, and Roxas was sure his he had never in his life seen someone change appearance that fast. It was pretty damn impressive.

The reason for Reno's abnormal behavior became evident when suddenly, a certain dark haired woman stepped up beside him.

Tifa Lockheart regarded her boyfriend with a look that made the red head writhe.

"Oh, hey baby!" The red heads voice could easily be compared to the one of a convicted murderer, still trying to convince the judge.

Tifa planted her hands on her hips. "Don't hey-baby me _baby!_"

Reno actually gulped. "What is it sweetheart, something wrong?"

The glare Tifa sent him was scolding. "Is there something wrong? You're asking me if there is something wrong?! Try to use your brain for once will you?!"

Reno looked as if he had been slapped, and considering his girlfriends expression, Roxas thought that that precise reality wasn't really far away.

The lanky red head swallowed hesitantly, and his every movement seemed to be filled with cautiousness. "Uh… well baby, the thing is, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Tifa's eyes were merely two black slits. "So, you forgot?" Her voice sent shivers down Roxas' spine, and the way she moved closer to Reno reminded Roxas of a lion circling its prey.

Reno looked as if he was on the verge of running away. "Well, obviously…yeah…"

The dark haired beauty exploded. "Reno! Argh!"

In a flash she reached out and forcefully grabbed hold of Reno's red ponytail. Said red head let out a yelp as he was tugged harshly downwards.

"You stupid, ignorant son of a—" Tifa, still holding the red head down, shook her head hastily, "No, that would be an insult against your mother, and surely, she's had enough during her life, considering _you're_ her son!"

Reno only whimpered as Tifa continued molesting him. Roxas could hear Kairi snigger, and without looking, he knew Axel was laughing mutely.

"God, Reno!" Miss. Lockheart let go of him, crossed her arms over her chest, and backed a few feet away from him.

Reno straightened up and rubbed his head, and just as he did, his eyes seemed to grow to the size of plates, and Roxas figured they weren't far away from popping out of his skull.

"Oi, shit!" The red head sounded indisputably upset.

Tifa just nodded sarcastically. "Yeah, shit."

"The baby!"

Tifa's smile was all but sardonic. "Oh, so you remember now? You actually remember that you're going to be a father! That you are going to have a baby! How opportune of you!"

She knitted her brows and balled her fists. "Seeing as _today_, was the day _you_ were going to pick me up at Leon's and come with me to the doctor! And that because of said baby!"

When Reno still did not say anything, only remained glued to the spot with his eyes ever so wide, the black haired woman continued. "Yeah! I thought so! Reno Sinclair! I ought to make you incapable of even _having_ children!"

And that's when Axel pulled at Roxas' sleeve and muttered it was about time to leave.

_

* * *

_

Leon and Cloud walked wordlessly through the park. The clock had already passed nine, and even though it was still early in the autumn, the darkness had begun to fall around them. From the shadowy treetops, the nightingale's enchanted song echoed through the air, and the faint sound of crickets lay as a connotation underneath it all, making the silence almost alive. Tifa had left them hours ago, pretty upset, seeing as Reno Sinclair had not been there to pick her up at Leon's at the right time. Cloud had felt really sorry for her, but at the same time, he had to admit he was a bit amused at how incredibly thick Kairi's older brother could be.

Anyhow, he could not refrain from feeling the slightest bit sorry for the red headed man. Cloud had known Tifa for quite a while, and even though they'd lost contact over the past few years, Cloud doubted her temper had changed all that much. He actually squirmed a bit as the memory of a raging black haired teenage girl, nearly choking the life out of a boy who'd been trying to feel her up, materialized in his head. No, Cloud really did not want to switch places with Reno right now.

His thoughts flickered from Tifa to the stoic brunet walking beside him.

Squall Leonheart, or Leon, as he preferred to be called. Cloud had asked why, but the brunet had only muttered something beneath his breath, and waved him off. The look Tifa had sent him, made Cloud retreat quietly, deciding not to bring it up again.

Cloud knitted his brows a little. Leon sure was an interesting person. At first sight, he seemed like a completely normal guy, except from the scar that covered the upper half of his face, and Cloud had not seen anything exceptionally special about him. Then, after a little while, all those kinds of thoughts were gone, and the blonde had found that Squall Leonheart –Leon goddammit!- was nothing like an ordinary man.

Throughout the whole day, Cloud had only heard him laugh once or twice, and those steely, grey eyes always seemed to hold a hint of distance. It was almost as if the brunet was trying to shield himself from the surroundings. Cloud knew that feeling, and therefore he did not bother to dig deeper into it.

The blonde had also struggled with socializing, not because he was an antisocial person –well okay, maybe he was– but he just felt like closing up sometimes. Cloud had grown to know himself and his somewhat embedded personality, and just as long as others left him partially alone when he needed it, he was fine with the way things were.

Still, Cloud could not help wondering what made Leon so secluded. He experienced this weird sort of interest towards the brunet. Genuine interest, the sort he never thought he'd feel towards anyone. Without knowing why, Cloud felt that they had something in common. Something other than their comparable moodiness.

The two men had been walking in silence for quite a while, only slipping small glances at each other now and then. A chilly evening breeze snuck its way underneath the collars of their shirts, and the blonde felt himself shiver from time to time, goose bumps appearing on his pale skin.

Cloud's sunlit hair constantly seemed to get caught in his eyes, and with a slight hint of annoyance, the blonde brushed it away. His eyes fell on his quiet companion and for a moment, he just stared.

Leon had his hands stuffed deeply in his pockets, and his dark, wild tresses were framing his strong face. Twin storms, divided by a diagonal scar were locked on the road beneath him, but as far as Cloud could see, the brunet did not really watch where he was going.

His stormy-grey eyes were clouded, lost in thoughts, and Cloud found he could not rip his gaze away from the other man. The blonde noticed every shade of brown that seemed to play in his hair, and how it was a strong contrast to his only slightly tanned skin. The masculine lines of the brunet's jaw suddenly became so much more evident, and Cloud had to swallow several times to get rid of the dryness that all of a sudden appeared in his mouth. Then, as if struck by lightning, Leon's head shot up, and their eyes met briefly, sending jolts of electricity down Cloud's spine, before they both looked away.

_Shit. That was unnerving!

* * *

_

"Zexion!"

The lilac haired boy kept moving, so fast that he nearly lost his shoe. Panic rose in his heart at every step, and the fluttering feeling in his chest grew stronger each second.

"Zexion, wait!" Said teen just added more speed to his pace, swallowing stiffly all the while.

"Zexion!" The disturbance in the other teen's voice nearly made him stop, but after an instant of doubt, he willed himself to move further.

"God dammit, Zexion! If you don't slow down I'll—I'll _tackle_ you!"

At this, the lilac haired boy raised a brow, and he was about to contemplate whether the other had actually meant it or not, but before he got so far, something heavy hit him square between the shoulder blades, and he fell head over heels.

Hitting the ground with a loud 'thump' he let out a wince of pain, now utterly shocked that the other teen had actually made reality of his threats. Still trying to get up, he felt how the person atop of him yanked him around and straddled his hips.

Demyx looked extremely flustered.

"Zexion, you idiot! What does it take to make you _listen_?"

The lilac haired boy fought the urge to roll his eyes. "A tackle maybe?"

His reply, however did not seem to amuse the blonde musician who was now glaring down at Zexion with a defiant look on is face.

"You're just too stupid sometimes!" He pouted. "First, you tell me you think you're in love with me, and then you just stalk off like that!"

Zexion cringed.

"What kind of heartless coward are you?"

Still no reply.

"Gah!" Demyx flailed his arms in the air and tugged at his blonde tresses. "You're so _stupid_!"

"Yeah, you've already said that Demyx." His words only infuriated the blonde more.

"Man Zexion! How hard can it be?! Just—just shut the hell up and listen!"

Zexion actually did shut up.

Demyx, still straddling him, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Zexion could not help but admiring the way his long lashes fluttered like brandishes across his soft cheeks and acknowledging how close they really were, made the lilac haired teen want to squirm.

When at last, the blonde opened his eyes, there was no longer anger in them, instead Zexion saw a soft gleam that seemed to soothe his now frenzied nerves.

"I… I just need to know… You see…I— Well, you can't just throw something like that in my face and walk away!"

Big, water-colored eyes locked with Zexion's.

"Zexion… did you really mean what you said?"

Zexion bit his lip. Just a minute ago, he had indeed, without a single trace of shame, walked up the front steps of Demyx' house, knocked on the door and told the perplexed blonde who opened that he thought he might be in love with him.

Then, only moments later, he'd turned and ran away as fast as he came.

Now, lying underneath the object of his affection, he found that all the earlier courage had left him, and that his brain could not form a coherent sentence.

_Why the hell had he just done than?!_

Zexion knew many things about himself, and sometimes he even claimed that he knew himself better than most people knew themselves, but this time, Zexion had to admit he'd absolutely no idea where his brain had been.

He'd simply woken up that morning, feeling this overpowering urge to see the blonde musician, and before he knew what he was doing, he was standing outside said musician's house, telling him that he was in love with him.

_What the fuck?!_

Zexion wanted to slam his head against the sidewalk, and inside he begged that the earth would somehow find a way to swallow him whole. Being around Demyx was like nothing he'd ever felt before, and now, faced with that feeling and without a single chance of escape, it was fair to say that Zexion felt rather troubled.

Demyx however, did not seem to care about the lilac haired boy's state of mind. The hyperactive blonde just increased the pressure on Zexion's shoulders and pushed the latter firmer against the ground.

"Answer me, Zexy!" Even in his flustered state, Zexion managed to frown at the nickname.

Demyx face suddenly softened. "Zexion… please… just tell me the truth… do you like me?"

"No."

The blonde looked as if someone had punched him.

"No," Zexion shook his head.

"Demyx, you obviously weren't listening to me. I didn't say I _liked_ you. I _said_ I was in love with you."

* * *

A/N: Ooou! Cliffhanger! Uhm, not really, but still! Hope you liked it, and PLEASE tell me whether I should continue the LeonCloud or not! You're awsome! (Once again) and Taiki-san is still the awsomest beta!! lovelovelove to you all! 

Demyx: WHY did you stop there?!

Na -Scratches head-

Demyx: I was about to KISS him!

Na: -Raises eyebrow- You don't know that? I haven't written it yet... -Sarcastic-

Demyx: But you've got it all in your head! WRITE IT!!

Na: ...

Demyx: Please?

Na: ... Stop bugging me, or I'll make sure both of you are hit by a truck...

Demyx: --!! -Zexion clamps Demyx mouth-

Na: -Smirk-


	17. Chapter 17

Warnings: Yaoi..and uhm.. pillow fights?

A/N: Sorry!! Sorrysorrysorry! I haven't updated in a long while, but here I am, and I sincerely hope you are here too!

So... with that little speach... Chapter 17 is up! Please enjoy! And, uhm.. the 'bold-script' and the 'text in middle of page' does not work, so the design will be slightly different this time.

* * *

-------------------------------------------------------- Shifting Roads --------------------------------------------------------------- 

----------------------------------------------------- Chapter Seventeen --------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------- "Cruel Pillows" ---------------------------------------------------------------

-

"Demyx, you obviously weren't listening to me." Zexion shook his head and continued. "I didn't say I _liked_ you, I said I was in _love_ with you."

Demyx's eyes grew bigger than the lilac haired teen had ever seen them, but just as Zexion thought they were going to pop right out of his skull, a wide, joyful grin spread across the musician's face. For a moment, they just stared at each other, Demyx still beaming, then despite his normally calm behavior, Zexion could not stop himself from smiling back, and before he could think of what he was doing, he brought the blonde down for a crushing hug.

Demyx's head rested against his shoulder, and Zexion shuddered a bit as warm lips came in brief contact with his neck. He heard Demyx chuckle softly.

"You silly…" The blonde's laughter increased and Zexion felt Demyx shake his head.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

At this, Zexion frowned a bit. "Uhm, well, actually… I did."

Demyx's head plopped up and his hand tugged gently at Zexion's hair. "Shut up."

Zexion actually giggled. "Says who? The always silent Demyx?"

The blonde made a tiny squeal and smacked his head, before settling quietly atop of Zexion, pouting.

"Jerk."

Zexion swallowed, and suddenly, he could no longer contain himself. Without hesitation, he yanked Demyx by the shirt, startling the blonde who immediately stopped pouting, and pressed his lips against the other boy's.

He barely noticed the blonde gasp slightly, and after a couple of seconds, firm hands latched themselves in his hair. Zexion groaned into the kiss, and tucked Demyx harder to his chest, overwhelmed by a sudden need to feel closer the musician.

The world around them didn't matter, and Zexion felt how everything was practically spinning. The pressure on his lips increased, and suddenly he felt Demyx's tongue slip between them. After hearing a particularly loud moan escape the blonde, Zexion thought his whole body was going to burst, and the battle of their tongues became fiercer, more passionate.

Then, the need for oxygen became unable to ignore, and they broke apart.

Panting for air, Demyx regarded him through half-lidded eyes, lips quivering slightly. Zexion had to swallow several times before speaking.

"As long as that makes me your jerk."

* * *

"Ahel!"

Roxas struggled against the pillow that was currently placed firmly over his face trying to kill him, arms flailing like a maniac and legs kicking fervently. The grip on the pillow loosened faintly and an amused voice sounded in the blonde's ears.

"What was that?"

"Axel!" He managed to choke between gasps, "let—ah, me go!"

He tried to pinch one of the lanky arms holding the cushion, but missed, and ended up scraping it instead.

This did not seem to bother his red headed captor, who just responded with a hushed chuckle and a faint withdrawal of the arm.

"Jeez Sunshine, what a girlish trick to pull!"

With a guttural growl of fury, Roxas grabbed the pillow and pulled at it, but before he could even think of having the damn thing removed, his hands were yanked away, and suddenly held by both wrists above his head.

Damn Axel and his long fingers!

"Lehf mh gwh!"

"Sorry," Axel's voice was full of mischief, "gotta repeat yourself there, Roxy. You need to speak more c-l-e-a-r-l-y."

Roxas felt his cheeks flush with anger and aimed a kick at the red head, groaning disappointedly when he felt it miss. The next time he tried however, his foot came in contact with a squashy surface and the action was followed by a surprised wince of pain.

Roxas chortled, feeling the victory wash through him, but was soon cut off, as the pillow was pressed harder down on his face, turning the snigger into a muffled choke.

Through the soft fabric, he heard Axel's laughter, and Sora's small gasps of amusement.

The three of them were just done watching the vampire-movie Axel had picked out earlier, and now, said red head was trying to suffocate Roxas with a pillow.

Simply because he thought it was fun.

The blonde scowled, still working to push the older teen off, thinking that, clearly, sitting immobile for more than two hours definitely was not good for Axel. The red head seemed to have built up this huge amount of restlessness and unfortunately, that restlessness had now turned into 'let's kill Roxas-ness'.

Surely, the blond thought while mentally rolling his eyes, the cotton candy and sugar filled sodas they had been feasting on through the entire film did not exactly make anything better.

He was a bit surprised though, that Sora had yet to interfere. It was common knowledge that the brunet sucked at seeing the difference between a joke and a real fight, so Roxas would've imagined Sora to be a complete wreck by now. Although, considering the small giggles he heard coming from the brunet, he concluded Sora was not at all worried.

_Turncoat._

Well, the brunet probably thought Axel was in total control of the situation and that he was going to let the blonde go before it got out of hand.

Scowling, Roxas remembered that that had been his thought too, but as he was slowly feeling himself running out of air, he truthfully began to reconsider this.

He had almost settled with the idea of him being suffocated by a hyperactive red head in his own living room, when suddenly, the doorbell rang, the sound echoing loudly in the hallway.

Releasing a thankful sigh, Roxas felt how the pillow, currently trying to kill him, was lifted from his face, and he sat up in the sofa to rub his now-sore neck.

Sora had already bounced off to open the door, and while waiting for him to come back, Roxas sent Axel, whom was still laughing maniacally, a murderous glare.

Axel caught his stare, but for some reason it only seemed to make him laugh harder.

Roxas pouted.

"I could have died!"

Axel's face immediately fell serious.

At first Roxas was surprised, thinking for a second that the red head actually believed him and felt sorry, but then, he noticed that Axel looked way too solemn, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You could have killed me!"

Axel, still bearing that aggravating sober look, a look that just screamed of tomfoolery, kept looking at him, and by now, the blonde was sure he saw small tugs at the corner of the red heads mouth. Roxas felt his face go red, and he was just about to give Axel a good kick in the belly when suddenly, someone said his name.

He turned befuddled, and when he did, he saw Cloud standing in the middle of the living room, a curious look on his face. Roxas blinked.

_What is Cloud doing here?_

Just as he was going to ask his older brother that, he noticed someone standing behind his half brother, and when his brain caught up with him and he recognized the tall figure, he could only stare. He tried to say something, but it seemed his voice had momentarily failed him, so Axel beat him to it.

"Mr. Leonheart?"

* * *

Riku could not sleep.

He was lying on his back in the middle of his bed, arms tucked under his head and the covers lying in a soft heap beside him. The clock on his desk said 03:06 am, and even though his eyes were burning like hell, he still could not sleep. Every time he forced them closed, a voice he recognized as Zexion's rung in his ears.

"_And you, Riku, should forget your pride and try to use your head for one minute!"_

The silver haired teen gritted his teeth, brows furrowing slightly.

_What had the lilac haired teen meant by that? Use his head?_

Riku frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

It seemed almost as if Zexion had been trying to tell him something.

Now, if only Riku could figure out what!

His frown deepened.

"Damn…" he grumbled to no one in particular.

His eyes drifted to the dark ceiling and he swallowed harshly while rubbing his temples. All this thinking made his head hurt, but while the only thing he wished for was sleep; those damn thoughts would not leave him alone.

Cursing under his breath one more time, the silver haired teen twisted around, until he was facing the opposite wall from the door, gaze flickering over a handful of articles on the floor and on the bedside-table.

The room was gloomy, the curtains were closed, and the only sound that was heard was the steady beatings of his heart.

"What did he mean?" He muttered to himself as his eyes drifted further.

Abruptly, they came to a halt, as they landed on a framed picture standing on his desk.

Squinting through the darkness, he leaned his head forth and stretched his neck to get a better view. When his eyes adjusted to the poor light he caught sight of a warm smile and a pair of big cerulean eyes.

Riku's aqua orbs suddenly widened, breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, his heart seemed to freeze. Then, the silver haired teen felt something fall to place inside of him, and like a switch was being turned on, he finally understood.

With his mouth slightly open, he regarded the rectangular picture, and while those striking, blue eyes continued to beam at him, Riku helplessly felt a dry sob of shock and disbelief escape him.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry about taking so loing!! This chapter probably is not all that good either, but I need it to get on with the story! Hope you're still there and that you still have some faith in me and this fic! I love you all for reading and reviewing, and especially thanks to my wonderful Ivy! 

Merry Christmas! And may the holidays bring you loads of fun, happiness and love!

-Naro


	18. Chapter 18

**Warnings:** This story contains Yaoi (don't know - look up)

**Disclaimer:** This is where I believe any text I write will point out the obvious, already made clear by the fact that THIS IS A GODDAM FANFIC!! -rolls eyes- Well, so therefore, I do not own!

**A/N:** Hello you all! Chapter 18 is up! I really hope you will enjoy it, and please make comments if there's something you don't like! Thank you for taking your time!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Eighteen_

_"Under the Table"_

_-_

The kitchen lay bathed in a warm, yellow light, and the burning candles next to the stove made the shadows of the room deeper, and added a shimmering, orange glow to the surroundings.The smell of newly brewed coffee and the warmth from the electric fireplace made the room cozy and intimate.

They were all seated around the table in Mrs. Kitamura's tidy kitchen, like they always did when they had guests. No one knew exactly why the kitchen served as a meeting spot, but to Roxas and Sora it had always been that way. Their mother, always serving drinks and cookies to their visitors had made it some kind of tradition, and now that she wasn't around, Roxas realized exactly how strong that tradition had come to be. He inwardly smiled, imagining his mother's stern face while she told them to always, no matter what, offer their guest something to eat or drink. Like they actually had a choice. Mrs. Kitamura was of the opinion that every single human being was somehow "too skinny" or "eating too little", so in reality, nobody that came to their house would leave hungry. More likely, they'd be completely jam-packed.

Again, he grinned to himself, remembering the countless times Riku had left their house looking like a penguin, unquestionably because of the way he wobbled, a result of being over-fed.

Thinking about the silver haired teen, Roxas eyes searched for Sora, now faintly curious of whether the brunet seemed to still be somewhat down because of the other night's events, but regarding Sora, Roxas found nothing extraordinary about his behavior. His twin was bouncing around in the kitchen, incontestably on the search for cookies.

_Nuh-uh, nothing strange about that..._

Roxas warily regarded the stoic brunet who sat down beside Cloud, placing the coffee-mug he had been holding in the middle of the table.

As his eyes took in the tall figure and strong built, the blond teen could not refrain from thinking that Mr. Leonheart looked quite stunning. This thought should probably have been considered as pretty unnerving, seeing as Mr. Leonheart was indeed his teacher, and a rather stern one too, but the blond found he could not help himself from mentally pointing it out.

Mr. Leonheart was indeed a sight to behold.

The brunet's semi-long hair fell slightly in his face, dark bangs leaving parts of his features in shadows. His tanned skin mixed with the deep brown color of his hair made him look rough, almost feral, an impression that was only supported by a pair of steely, all-knowing eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. Remembering those eyes, Roxas, reddening considerably, quickly shifted his gaze to a safer area.

Praying to God the older man had not noticed his stare, the blond watched him through the corner of his eyes.

Mr. Leonheart, however did not seem to have noticed, as his stormy-grey eyes were currently fixing the spiky haired man at his right, and Roxas felt his brows knit faintly when he observed the almost invisible smile that rested on his teacher's lips.

_Mr. Leonheart smiling? _

_Surely, the apocalypse was just around the corner._

Speaking of the apocalypse, Roxas thought and turned to give the red headed disaster at his left a scowl. Said disaster just smiled wickedly and gave him a thumb up, making the blond glare harder. At this, Axel formed a pout, and Roxas' nearly cracked a smile, but contained himself in the last minute and continued sending heated glances towards the red head. This, however, did not seem to cause Axel any agony, as his pout vanished and a smile took it's place, a look of pure mischief ascending on his face. Roxas was about to furrow his brows in bewilderment when suddenly a hand was firmly placed on his thigh, making him jump roughly.

Feeling how all the blood in his body rushed to his face, _yes face godammit!_, he stared at the red head in something akin to shock. The devilish glint that played in those green emeralds made the blond shudder, and the smirk resting on Axel's full lips caused his head to spin slightly.

"So, you guys…"

Roxas was abruptly pulled out of his clouded haze, and forcing himself to look calm, he turned towards Sora whom was now sitting opposed to him, giving him a somewhat curious look.

Roxas cursed Axel with all the passion in his heart and smiled half-heartedly at his twin who just raised his brows in return.

_Damn you, damn you, damn you!_

He tried to keep his face as cool as possible, painfully aware of the hand that was now teasing the inside of his thigh, while returning Sora's stare. The brunet regarded him silently for another couple of seconds, and just when Roxas thought he was going to break under the pressure and just scream, the brunet nodded and continued.

"Yeah!" he chirped in his usual way, "Cloud! Mr. Leonheart… err… Squall?"

At the mentioning of his real name, the brunet clenched his jaws, a gloomy expression appearing in his strong face, making Sora pale visibly. "Mr. Leonheart then!"

The silence that followed contained both concerned looks from Cloud, extremely frightened ones from Sora, not to mention an almost unbearable pressure from Axel's hand on Roxas' thigh. The blond wanted to yell at Sora for being such a dimwit, making this really uncomfortable silence, but regarding his twin's horrified face, he supposed yelling at Sora right now could actually cause him to have a heart attack. At least that would have lead all the attention away from him and his gruesome situation.

Well, he thought, it wasn't exactly gruesome. In fact, when Axel touched him like that, it made him want to—

_Enough of those thoughts!_

As Roxas suppressed the urge to kick Axel hard under the table, he noted that Sora was now the color of a snowman. A _pale_ snowman. Just before Roxas thought the brunet was about to flee the kitchen-

"Leon."

Roxas' eyebrows rose at the same time as his jaw dropped, and for a split second, he actually forgot about the hand in his lap.

_What the hell?_

Mr. Leonheart cleared his throat and locked gazes with Sora, who was by now blushing madly.

"You may call me Leon."

The chirpy brunet swallowed thickly, still red as a radish.

"So, uhm, Cloud, Leon... what are you guys doing here?

Sora's voice was insecure and Roxas, despite the burning sensation in his body, undoubtedly caused by Axel's hand, heard that it held a very uncharacteristic quiver.

Cloud and the stoic brunet at his side changed glances. After taking in the other's wild features for a couple of seconds, Cloud turned at his younger brother and gave a faint smile, as if to ensure Sora it was okay to ask questions.

"Well," the older blond started. "As you know, we went out with Tifa today and we were supposed to stay at Squa- err, I mean Leon's house, but there were some... ah.. difficulties."

"Hah!" Everyone turned to the red headed molester at Roxas left.

Axel grinned, and for a moment, the movements of his hand stopped, making Roxas sigh deeply in relief. The hand still lingered though, so the blond was not entirely sure that he should be celebrating his victory just yet.

"Lemme guess. Reno?" The red head beamed from ear to ear.

Cloud looked puzzled. "Yeah. How do you know?"

Axel continued grinning. "Let's just say me and Roxy here ran into quite an interesting scene this afternoon." He paused a little, and suddenly, his fingers squeezed Roxas' thigh again, making the blond whimper slightly in shock, earning a raised eyebrow from Mr. Leonheart.

_Damn you and those all-knowing eyes of yours!_

_Eeep! Eh... never mind!_

At his side, he could feel Axel smirk.

_This was definitely going to be a long evening!

* * *

_

Zexion trailed his fingers over the musician's forehead, brushing away strains of gold that had escaped the mohawk. The blond that was currently resting in his lap looked so sweet and innocent. His eyes were closed, making his lashes resemble a pair of brandishes sweeping across his pale cheeks and the rosy, soft mouth was forming a tiny pout.

Looking at Demyx's angelic features made Zexion's chest swell, and he couldn't seem to get rid of the lump that had materialized in there. The two of them were at the moment cuddled up against each other in Demyx bedroom, where only the king-sized bed was not covered by articles or clothing. Zexion had not been to Demyx's room many times before, but from what he remembered from those few times, the room looked quite the same as always.

Zexion smirked.

Demyx really didn't care for such trivial things as cleaning. His eyes wandered around the room, and fell on a pair of boxers that were shamelessly tossed on the floor.

How typical, Zexion thought, rolling his eyes. Nothing ever seemed to embarrass Demyx. Not even /possibly/ dirty underwear.

He smiled and drew the blond closer, eliciting a satisfied purr from the musician. The lilac haired teen had to fight back the laughter that threatened to escape him. The look of utter happiness really was too obvious. Just like everything else about the musician.

In that way, Demyx reminded Zexion of Sora.

Speaking of which…

"Demyx?"

The blonde cracked an eye open, snuggling further into his lap. "Yeah?"

"Yesterday… at the party…" Zexion's voice trailed off.

Demyx, now genuinely interested rose his head and regarded him properly. "Yeah? What about it?"

Zexion bit his lip. "Well… This might not be my business, but I think that perhaps you'd know better than me on this term so…"

Demyx nudged his shoulder. "Yeah, get to the point!"

Zexion smirked. "Impatient are we?"

Demyx scowled cutely and proceeded slapping Zexion gently upon his arm. "Just go there..."

"All right." The lilac haired teen bit his lower lip tentatively, "It's about Sora," he paused a little. "...And Riku."

Demyx furrowed his brows, a confused look grazing his features. "Really? What is it then?"

Zexion bit his lip again, "Well, the other night, at the party, I met Sora outside, right after we..."

Demyx grinned. "Made out?"

Zexion sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes at the blonde's bluntness. "Yeah."

"So? What did he say?"

"Well... Actually, first we hid. From Kairi. In a bush."

Demyx looked aghast. "What? _You_ hid with _Sora_, in a _bush_?"

The lilac haired teen just nodded, while Demyx cleared his throat, "Uh- okay...?"

Zexion chuckled. "Yeah, sounds odd, I know, but that's not the point. The bush-hiding, I mean. The thing is... After that, we sat down, and Sora seemed really out of it. He kept rambling about you and—and me, and us—"

"-making out?" Demyx chirped, earning a half-hearted glare from Zexion.

"Yes. Now," he continued sternly, letting the blond know there were room for no more interruptions. Or at least, he crossed his fingers there would be _less_ of them. Knowing Demyx, there probably wouldn't.

"I could not help but noticing a certain 'personal interest' in all of Sora's questions about, our relationship, and when I pointed that out to him, he started babbling about Axel kissing Roxas in stead. So I asked him if that was the problem, if he had feelings for Axel -which would have by the way been too odd- , but he simply answers me; 'not Axel',"

Zexion took a pause before continuing, "...then, suddenly he goes all pale and runs off."

Demyx just blinked. "Why?"

"Well, that's what I hoped you'd figure out... So that I'd have someone else's opinion to compare with."

When Demyx just continued blinking, Zexion sighed and rubbed his forehead before locking gazes with the befuddled blond. "He got scared. Scared because of something I, or more likely he, himself, said. Something that made him realize... something."

The blond musician giggled. "Nice vocabulary you've got there, Zexy!"

Scowling at both the comment and the /not so hatred/ nickname, the lilac haired teen gave the other boy a shove in the side. "Shut it. All I'm saying is that Sora seemed genuinely scared by the thought of two males kissing, and he did mention several times that you and I were in fact _friends_, which is precisely what makes me think that—"

"OH, MY GOD!"

Zexion rolled his eyes. "My point exactly."

* * *

A/N: I thought the little conversation with Demmy and Zexy was pretty cute, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite the fact that it was rather pointless, except for some "reveations"... Consider it my Christmas present for you! Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews I got for the last chapter!! You all pwn!

-Crushing Christmas hugs to all of you-

Demyx: Why did we not make out in this one?

Na: What's up with you and this sudden addiction to making out?

Demyx: -sticks out tongue- You're the writer, why don't you answer that!

Na: -scowls-

Demyx: Demyx 1- 0 Na, YAY!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** I do not own... God, I'm so tired of writing that sentence!

**A/N:** Yay! Chapter 19 is up! I keep writing a lot these days! -chuckles- Well.. Guess it's the Christmas spirit. I was not patient enough to have this chapter beta-ed, so therefore I'd like to dedicate it to my lovely Ivy! And also to the people capable of burning water! -You know who you are! -Laughs-

Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I really appreciate all the reviews! Thank you! -Huggles-

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Nineteen_

_"Of Warm Baths and Chilly Visitors"_

_-_

Sunday passed by much like any other normal Sunday.

Except from the thousands of phone calls Roxas got from a certain red head perhaps.

Axel had been calling the blond at least once per hour and quite frankly Roxas was a bit tired of hearing the phrase; "Hello my beautiful little ray of sunshine!", every single time he picked up.

None the less, he was flattered, and even though he had spent most of the morning giving the red head mental kicks in the butt as a payment for yesterdays little 'knee-touching' episode, he had to admit his chest fluttered excitedly whenever he saw the now familiar number on his display.

Their conversations were mostly totally pointless, Axel asking what the blond was doing, whereas Roxas answered he was still doing whatever he was doing last time the red head called.

Axel, however, did not seem to bother with Roxas' sarcasm, and kept calling.

Much to the blond's pleasure.

Roxas' mother had arrived early in the morning, waking the blond up with a crushing hug, telling him how much she'd missed her two little angels. Roxas had jokingly reminded her that both he and Sora were pretty old now, but his mother had just looked at him, befuddled, before shaking her head, assuring him that 'Oh no, they were still her babies'. Roxas reckoned it a lost cause.

During the day, Mrs. Kitamura's eyebrows had arisen quite a few times, seeing as her son's cellphone rang every sixtieth minute, but Roxas ignored the looks she sent him and muttered something about a crazy classmate in math-troubles. Oddly enough, his mother seemed to accept this, yet the blond mentally sacked himself for not even being able to make up a decent explanation.

Cloud had stopped by at four to deliver some pictures their mother had been trying to get her hands on ever since Cloud had told her bout them. They were from a day at the beach, three or four years ago, where Sora, Riku, Cloud and a badly sunburned Roxas were playing volleyball and making sand-castles. Roxas himself, had a lot of memories from that particular day, and winced faintly when remembering the burning sensation that had been present at all times the following week.

Still, he remembered a moment where Sora had nearly drowned because he'd decided to go swimming with his legs tied up. Undoubtedly Riku's idea. The blond gave a small chuckle as the memory became clear in his mind.

* * *

Later that same Sunday, Roxas had taken a long, warm bath, and while he was lying there, surrounded by lavender-smelling bubbles, he thought of Axel, and the outcome of his first week at school. 

Surely, that week had gone by faster than any other week in his entire life, but at the same time, that exact week seemed to have lasted for at least a couple of months.

Therefore, Roxas came to the conclusion that he had indeed had what most people would call 'the time of their life', and with a satisfied smirk, he'd ducked his head under the heated water.

Life was good.

At least until the door bell rang.

* * *

Roxas, hair still dripping wet, watched the scene that evolved in front of him, feeling how his mouth hung slightly open. Shivering violently from the cold breeze that ran through the room, -the towel around his waist not giving much protection- he gulped at the sight. 

The blond had been enjoying his bath, finally relaxing, which he -fair to say- had not been doing at all the past few days, when he'd been startled out of his comfortable daze by the sound of screaming voices. Voices he recognized as Sora's and... Riku's?

Thinking that 'this is definitely not good' he got up from the tub and hurried downstairs, nearly tripping over Sora's big, yellow shoes standing where the brunet had carelessly left them; at the end of the damn stairs! Getting up, flustered by the pitiful way he had lost his balance, he ran the next few meters, only to end up wide-eyed and somewhat shocked.

Their normally peaceful hallway was now soaring with sound, to the point where Roxas wanted to cover his ears to block it out and the blond cursed himself for not putting on a sweater, as the cold stood harshly from the open door.

A furious Sora -judging by the color of his ears- was standing with his back towards the blond, obviously trying his best to slam the door shut, while Riku, face red with agony, stood halfway outside, trying to push it open. The silver haired teen appeared to be muttering something between gritted teeth, his jaws clenched tightly. However, the blond was not able to hear what he said, seeing as his twin was shouting all but loudly, drowning whatever words his friend gave tongue to.

"No! Riku, get the hell out!" Sora screeched and pushed harder at the wooden door. Roxas was agape at his twin's choice of words. Sora practically never cursed.

"I said get-" the brunet kicked the door, "-out!"

Riku, eyes burning with compassion, just pushed back, growling an angry 'no way'.

Roxas, truthfully happy their mother had driven off to buy groceries, swallowed and moved closer as neither of the two had seemed to notice him.

"Get the hell out of here, Riku! I have nothing to say to you!" Sora's voice was on the verge of breaking, and the blond could not avoid seeing the tears that glistened in the corner of his eyes.

"Well-" Riku sounded exasperated, and Roxas was sure he'd never heard the silver haired teen this out of it, "the thing is Sora, that I've got something to say to you!" Riku's fist slammed against the surface of the door, and clearly pulling his strength together, he gave one last, angry push, making Sora lose balance and fall backwards. Looking up at Riku, trepidation written all over his face, the brunet gave shocked cry before starting to get up, face reddening by the second.

Stepping inside, Riku, who still hadn't noticed Roxas, grabbed a startled Sora by the collar and dragged him to his feet. Trembling roughly, the silver haired teen shoved the smaller brunet up against the wall and gripped his jaw, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"Sora..." Riku's voice was strangely soft, and did not match his threatening appearance at all.

"Sora... I— Oh God," a choked sob escaped the silver haired teen as he looked into Sora's cerulean eyes, wide with fear and anger.

Riku bit his lip, and for the first time ever, Roxas thought, he looked completely unsure of what to do. However, before he got the chance to do anything at all, Sora's fist came flying at him, hitting him square in the face. Roxas mouth fell open. Sora was hitting someone? Sora was hitting Riku?!

While Riku's aqua orbs widened to the point where it became almost surreal, the spiky-haired brunet pushed the bigger teen off and proceeded launching out at him again, this time hitting him in the shoulder.

"Sora, rel—"

"No! No, you relax Riku!" The brunet cried openly now, tears streaming in heavy flows down his cheeks. "You— you jackass!"

Roxas, thorn between wanting to comfort his twin, and leaving unnoticed, could not recall to have ever seen the brunet this upset, this furious.

"After what you said last night, how dare you come here?!" Sora sniffled, tears still pouring.

"Sora..." Riku, clutching his shoulder stepped closer to Sora, but was forced back by another angry move from the brunet.

"No! For the last time Riku, get out! Go! You—I have nothing more to say to you, you hear me Riku?! You hea— hear me..." he fell to his knees, covered his face and sobbed into his hands.

Riku, now breathing heavily, looked at the shaking brunet on the floor, and for a moment, Roxas thought he saw an expression of utter, heartbreaking pain grazing the silver haired teen's face.

He stretched a hand out towards the quivering youth.

"Sora..." It seemed Riku's voice had momentarily failed him, as a soft whimpering sound was the only thing that came out next.

"No... Riku..." Sora's voice was muffled by his hands, "no... please... you... you can't just come here and—and ask me to listen to you! Not after—not after you said all those things!"

Riku, still bearing that gut-wrenching look of sorrow nodded his head in what Roxas could only describe as anguish, and slowly, the hand he had been holding out towards the crying brunet, fell limp to his side. "Okay," he cleared his throat, "I'll leave..."

And with that, the silver haired teen gave the brunet one last look of... longing?- and left. Not noticing Roxas all.

After he was gone, Sora remained crying silently on the floor, hands still covering most of his face and Roxas decided it was time to make a move.

"Sora?" He slowly moved closer to the brunet.

"Sora, are you okay?"

He bent down next to his twin and hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. Feeling that that particular act was starting to become much to familiar, just like the situation they were in, he rubbed Sora's neck, massaging it carefully.

After what seemed like an eternity, the brunet raised his head and gave Roxas a shaky smile.

"Thank you."

Roxas could only swallow, thinking that Sora truly had to be one of the most amazing people he would ever know, and feeling how warmth spread in his chest, he pulled his twin-brother close and whispered in his ear; "I love you Sora. And you're welcome."

* * *

A/N: Yes, that was short, I know, but I've been thinking about the lenght of my chapters; I will still try to reach past 1600 words per chapter, but I figured you'd rather have me update a bit faster than, you know, longer? Well, the things that happens is gonna happen anyway so, I hope it's okay with you all! Thank you guys so much for being such wonderful readers! I mean, gosh, I never thought I'd have like five reviews in half an hour! You rock my socks!! You really do! And for that, I just have to keep writing real fast! Hope you still enjoy! -Loads of love- 

Tusen hjertelig takk!

Demyx: WHY WAS I NO--

Na: Oh, shut it...

Demyx: -looks flabbergasted-

Na: -smirks- Na 1-1 Demyx


	20. Chapter 20

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** It's fanfiction, what do you think?

**A/N:** Okay, this author note will be fairly long. I have now reached chapter TWENTY of my story Shifting Roads, and there are just a few things I'd like to say.

When I first started this story, I was really not sure whether it was a good idea or not. I had so much trouble deciding if I was going to write it at all, and I had absolutely no confidence in my writing. Seeing that I'm -as you all probably know by now- not from an English-speaking country, I felt that my language was far from good enough to create a fic.

...You guys, mye reviewers proved me wrong! You have been absolutely awsome! I cannot describe how much your reviews means to me. I have all of you to thank for the fact that mye english AND my writing have improved enormously the past couple of months! Therefore, THANK YOU!

**Ivy J. : **You have been the most wonderful beta, and even though I haven't gotten this chapter beta'ed I still have you to thank for a lot of inspiration. Had it not been for this story, I would not have gotten to know you, and that would have been terrible! hugs

**Kiki Lelsissia :** You have been sticking with this story from the start, and your reviews always makes me so goddamn happy! I practically squee in joy every time I see a review alert with your name on!

**Faye Silo :** Thank you for your advices! You've also made my day brighter with your reviews! Thanks for sticking with me!

**Peachie Bunni:** Your reviews makes me laugh, and they are really helpful and inspiring! Think of it, you have reviewed almost every chapter, even though you read it for th first time when I had already written a good deal of chapters. hugs

**Plain Jane is a Vampire:** You have been with me from the start, and I have to thank you for that! You're awsome!

**Hyper Kid :** You once said something I wrote was pure genius, and for that I love you to the extreme! Thank you for funny and inspiring reviews!

**Gold Dragon Of Darkness :** You made a comment about respecting me for writing well english when it's not my native tongue, and that reallt made me happy! That comment has followed me in my writing, and I really appreciate you saying that!

**Kel-Vampyre :** You point out what's funny and what you like! That is something I really love with readers, and your reviews are highly appreciated!

**sana-chan9 :** You have reviewed the last chapters in a very lovely way! Fantabulous! Haha, that word still reminds me of Demyx! Thank you for reviewing, and keep being FANTABULOUS!

**mornir-brightflame :** What can I say? You are absolutely awsome! When I see a review coming from you I start to laugh almost before I read it! They are so funny, and gosh do they most certainly make my day! I love the way you speak your mind, and I cannot get enough of your thpughts!! -Laughs- Please continue!!

**darkangelwings90 :** You are really cool to conversate with, and I love your reviews! Thank you!

Also, for the rest of you, you are wonderful! I cannot thank you enough! You are every writers dream-reviewers!!

**The Mad Empty Shell, freakenout, fullofmisery, animeobsession, Dragon Akira, Teefie-Chan, For All the Broken Hearts, shadowtailmon, The Bittersweet End, M. Monster, holyfanfictionbatman, Yami of the Hikari, RoseRosa, edwardlover1155, Wilixer, figure in flames, Hotaru-ai, Faith Cross, AudreyVicious, Lady Stars, aussie girl1990, If You Get My Drift, Bloodypassion, sakura's conscience **and** XxZilyxX **!!!

-Love Naro

Now please read and enjoy this chapter!! Chapter twenty!! YAY!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty_

_"In The Closet"_

_-_

When Roxas sat down in the back of the English-classroom Monday morning, he could not help but noticing the little smile that grazed his teacher's face when their eyes met. Swallowing timidly, he tried to return the smile, but all he could manage was this weird, twisted grimace, that probably looked more like a spasm than anything else. At this, the blond could swear he saw something akin to an amused smirk play in the corner of Mr. Leonheart's mouth.

The gesture seemed rather unfitting and the fact that "Leon" was actually showing any kind of emotion -in class no less- was indeed a bit scary. Still, Roxas did feel quite honored to be the target of said man's affection, so during the whole session, the young blond payed even more attention than usual, just to show Mr. Leonheart that.

It appeared that his stoic, not to mention gloomy, teacher ha found something in his older brother. Some sort of similarity, Roxas thought.

Despite his big bunch of friends, Cloud had always been a bit of a loner, so the blond was genuinely happy that his brother seemed to have found someone to share that odd loneliness with.

Heavens would know both Sora, Roxas and the rest of Clouds many friends had tried for what seemed like forever to make the spiky-haired blond cheer up, or at least talk more, get out more or even just smile more, but no one had fully succeeded. Until now maybe, Roxas thought with a dry smile. How ironic. The worlds second most silent bastard turned the first one into a pile of words and smiles.

Seeing Tifa again had apparently been very good for Cloud too. Ever since that day, a week ago, the blond had laughed more frequently, and he actually attempted to make jokes. Roxas smiled at the thought. It was so out of character. Yet, in a good way.

Nothing made Roxas more happy than seeing his half-brother all content.

With that thought in mind, he gave Mr. Leonheart a big smile and a wave before exiting the classroom when their session was over, only to elicit a somewhat befuddled expression from his teacher.

* * *

Later that same day however, the somewhat happy feeling in his chest was replaced by one of sadness, as he met Sora walking alone in the corridors, apparently petty down and all but sulky. 

After their little hugging-session in the hallway, Sora had gone to his room and stayed there all night. Roxas had tried to knock, but his brother had replied that he was sleepy, and therefore, not in the mood to talk. Roxas had felt really sorry for him, but even though seeing Sora like that was awful, Roxas knew there was little he could do to cheer him up, and went to bed without uttering another word with his twin.

As things seemed today, Sora had yet to speak to Riku, and Roxas actually found himself wondering upon whether he would or not. The blond had never seen his twin upset to the extent the was the other night before, so in his silent mind, he doubted things were gonna work out between the two boys. A thought that made him squirm slightly.

Riku and Sora had been best friends for years, no, for a lifetime, and nothing had ever come between them. They had always had this special bond. A bond that was so strong it sometimes, during their childhood mostly, had made Roxas incredibly jealous. He had felt that Riku was closer to Sora's heart than himself, and in some ways, the blond guessed that was actually true too.

Riku and Sora... it was just always them! No one was closer to Sora than Riku, not even Kairi. Surely, the auburn haired girl was one of Sora's best friends, maybe at some point, he had even had a little crush on her, but in reality, she never really stood a chance against Riku. No one did.

Therefore, Roxas had not ever been able to imagine the two of them fighting!

Before now, Roxas thought sadly and regarded his twin.

Sora, who was usually wearing this big, silly grin, now seemed completely heart-broken and his azure eyes never left the white marble floor. Not even when Roxas asked him of he was okay. He just nodded and shrugged before stalking off, muttering something about a biology-class.

The blond found there was no reason to go after him, and went to look for Naminé instead.

The two were supposed to meet in the cafeteria, but the petite blonde seemed to have completely vanished, and Roxas could not find her anywhere. As he searched through the halls, he inwardly hoped he would not encounter Riku. That would somehow have been a bit awkward. Luck appeared to be on his side, for he never once saw the silver haired teen.

He did however, walk straight into Demyx, or, Demyx walked into him to be more precisely.

The musician had beamed at him with pure joy written in big letters all over his face and cheerfully informed Roxas that it was a beautiful day. The blond had lifted an eyebrow at this, but hadn't questioned it further, simply because Demyx was Demyx.

After saying goodbye to the chirpy musician, Roxas continued his search for Naminé, and he was truthfully about to give up when a smug voice sounded from behind.

"Lookin' for me Sunshine?"

Roxas turned rapidly, only to be pressed flush against the wall, meeting a pair of mischievous emerald eyes only inches away from his own.

A wide smirk grew ,if possible, bigger when Roxas turned a deep shade of red.

"You not happy to see me Roxy? Or is that exactly what that cute little blush of yours is inquiring?"

The blond scowled. "Shut up."

Axel laughed heartily. "I take that as a yes."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you'd take anything for a yes. Even if I jumped off the building."

Axel smirked and put a finger to the blond's mouth. "Don't talk like that Sunshine."

Roxas chuckled, "You worried I might actually do it?"

The red head shrugged. "You're with me aren't you? I tend to drive people crazy."

Roxas snorted, but felt how he silently agreed, "Sure Axel."

Axel grinned and took his hand. As their fingers intertwined, the green-eyed boy took some time to gaze at the smaller blond before him. "You look nice today..." he murmured.

Roxas suppressed the urge to giggle.

Axel just continued smiling, "You do... In fact... You look so nice I just want to..." He trailed off, before slowly bending down to brush his lips against Roxas'.

The blond felt his heart hammer in his chest at the touch, but collected all his willpower and pushed the red head away. "Axel, we're in the middle of the corridor."

The red head gave his hand a faint squeeze. "I know... "

Before Roxas could say anything more, he was being dragged by the hand down the corridor and suddenly he found himself standing in a place that was very dark. Not to mention very small.

It took him a couple of seconds to realize that he was actually standing in a small cupboard filled with brooms and buckets. A cleaning cabinet.

Pouting slightly, he looked up at the red head that was currently beaming at him.

"Axel! You dragged me into a—"

"Sush Sunshine!" Axel placed his hand over Roxas' mouth before leaning down to whisper in the blond's ear. "Don't make so much noise, or someone will find out that we're in here."

Roxas found it hard to believe that no one had noticed them going_ inside_ the cupboard, but kept his mouth closed none the less.

"There..." Axel uttered in a husky tone, "Now you read me..."

Roxas elbowed him in the ribcage. "You're stupid. How a bout picking a place at least a tad more romantic next time?"

The red head chuckled. "Hey, this was the best I could think of with my brain over-heating and all." He took a pause to brush away loose strains of gold from Roxas face. "Seems I'm not the only one with the power to drive other people crazy..."

Roxas blushed faintly.

"Damn Roxas... You're just too cute..." Axel trailed a finger down his cheek and over his jaw.

"Having you this close just makes me want to..." he left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air.

The tension between them was overwhelming, and Roxas was sure he could smell it, not to mention feel it thickening by the second.

He squirmed a little, still not completely familiar with the intimacy.

Axel caught his movement, and an all but mischievous grin spread across his features. Roxas gulped, feeling to somehow know what was going to happen next. Then, before he could think of anything else, Axel pressed him up against the cabinet-wall and flushed their bodies together.

Roxas gasped at the closeness, feeling his breath becoming more shallow. Axel just smirked at his reaction, emerald eyes sparkling with, yeah, this time Roxas was sure he saw lust written all over the red head's face.

Without warning, Axel caught his lips and the blond felt his knees give away under him. Luckily, he was supported by the red head, so he avoided falling straight to the floor.

The kiss was more passionate than any kiss they had ever shared, and when the red head pulled away for air, a small string of saliva still connected their lips.

Axel took a moment to catch his breath before wrapping a lanky arm around Roxas waist, pulling him into a somewhat awkward hug. The older teen rested his head against the blond's shoulder and noticing how the red head trembled faintly, Roxas furrowed his brows.

Axel's breath was ragged and the smaller teen could swear he felt the red head's heart hammer like crazy beneath the fabric of his shirt.

"Roxas..."

Said blond swallowed before murmuring a 'yes' against the older teen's neck.

"Did I mention how extremely sexy you are?"

Roxas felt his face turn the color of a radish. "N—no."

Pressing his lips down on Roxas' neck, Axel kissed a soft trail up towards the blond's mouth. When he got there, he captured Roxas' eyes before replying huskily, "Well... You are. You're just so extremely... sexy."

And with that, the red head kissed him again, making explosions go off inside his head.

* * *

Sora hesitantly sat down on the wooden bench in the Destiny High Park. 

The same wooden, old bench he and Riku had sat down on less than a week ago.

Much like that day, the sun was shimmering brightly and the nearby trees wavered in he swift breeze. The birds were singing too, but now their song was nothing but regular bird-song, and the surroundings were just that... surroundings. They did not seemed to laugh at him this time. Sora squirmed a little and as his thought traveled back to that day.

Riku had walked up to him in the school yard and demanded to speak with him after some stupid argument.

The brunet sighed heavily at the memory.

That day seemed so far away now. Like it had happened in another lifetime.

They had been fighting because of Kairi, or more precisely because a rumor about her.

Axel had mindlessly told Sora that Riku and the auburn haired girl were constantly flirting, and Sora had been stupid enough to believe him.

The brunet scowled.

Axel.

Also this time, Axel was indeed a big part of the reason why he and Riku were fighting.

What was the thing with the red head and troubles? The two of them seemed to constantly be connected in some way.

_No!_

Sora shook his head and rubbed his temples angrily.

No, this had nothing to to with Axel. Or anyone else for that matter. This was about him and Riku.

He clearly remembered Riku's words that day.

"_My weird, naïve little Sora."_

The brunet recalled the strange softness in his best friends voice, and feeling how his chest ached, Sora suppressed the whimper that threatened to break free from his lips.

Since when had Riku ever spoken to him that way?

Sora remembered how surprised he had been that day, when hearing that tone coming from the silver haired teen.

Riku never tended to show a lot of emotions, other than anger, and even that was pretty rare.

At least, the older teen never used to be angry at Sora.

Well, the brunet thought, his stomach twisting painfully, that had most certainly changed.

Now, it seemed Riku's anger was directed at him alone.

"_I would never keep anything from you! You're my best friend, and always will be!"_

Yeah right.. .

Sora felt the tears burning in his eyes. Were him and Riku really going to split up forever?

The brunet remembered his own harsh words the other evening, not to mention his actions.

He had actually hit Riku!

Sora never fought. And the fact than Riku had been the receiver of his blow made the brunet sick. Why had he even done that?

He had been really disappointed at the silver haired teen, after the ice-cold words he had uttered at Demyx's party. They had shocked him enormously, and made him feel like a complete asshole. Still, Sora could not find it right in his heart to justify his actions. He had purposely tried to hurt Riku.

The brunet had gone through the scenario over and over again that night, and it was fair to say that he had gotten a very small amount of sleep, if anything at all. He had spent most of the night crying, and in the morning his face had been swollen and red.

He had avoided Roxas at all costs, feeling both ashamed and sorry, so he had taken an earlier bus.

He felt guilty for keeping his twin out like that, but at the same time, he did not know how to face Roxas right now. His brother seemed so happy with Axel, and Sora still had a bad consciousness when it came to the whole Axel-situation, so therefore he felt like lying as low as possible was the best thing to do.

As if that wasn't enough, he also felt bad for Kairi. The auburn haired girl had tried to reach him at least twenty times during the weekend, but seeing as he really did not know what to say to her, he hadn't picked up the phone.

The brunet teen knew he was handling the situation like a child, but he really did not know what else to do. He felt completely at a loss of ideas, and it seemed as if the world was shattering into pieces around him.

Somehow, Sora knew it was all related to Riku.

The silver haired teen had always been the fundamental power in his life. The one thing that made everything else make sense. Sora could not imagine his life without Riku, but now, when things were like this, he was afraid that losing the silver haired teen was unpreventable. The sole thought made his chest tighten painfully, and the brunet felt how he could no longer prevent the tears from streaming down his cheeks.

He was gonna lose Riku, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Sora buried his head in his hands.

He had brought this upon himself, acting like he did. There was no reason Riku would stay best friends with him after this, and Sora knew it.

He had pushed him away last night when he came to talk, and even though the brunet had no idea of what the silver haired teen had come to tell him, he suspected it was extremely important. Riku usually did not come back to apologize. It was not often that the older teen tossed his pride aside to make things right. Therefore, Sora doubted he would ever get a second chance to talk to Riku.

"I really screwed things up..." he muttered, voice stained with sorrow,

"And now there's no way back."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was a tad bit longer than usual, but I dunno... it just made sense to write it that way. I know I've made Sora pretty angsty in the past few chapters, including this one, BUT I will make him go back to normal I swear! And, also, thank you so much for reviewing! You are all so great! 

Demyx: You made me sound like a brainless fool.

Na: -Raises brow- Your point?

Demyx: -Gasps- THAT IS NOT A GAG!

Na: ...

Demyx: IT'S NOT!

Na: ...

Demyx: -rips out hair- WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME?!

Na: ... -fetches gag- Na: 4 - 1:Dem


	21. Chapter 21

**Warning:** Yaoi

**Discmaimer:** None of the characters are mine, (except the lady in the phone)!

**A/N:** So, chapter 21 is up! -Smiles- And I hope you'll enjoy it! It's not too long, but I belive it is... eventful somehow... Thank you so much for reviewing you guys! You simply are awsome! I just want to hug all of you! -Grins-

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty One_

_"Accidents do Happen"_

_-_

"So, what was _really_ deal with you and Axel hiding in a cupboard?" Kairi's voice was filled with mischief and her deep blue eyes sparkled with amusement. At her side, Naminé was giggling helplessly, and Roxas could not refrain from rolling his eyes a little.

"What's the deal with you digging into other people's business?" He retorted jokingly, making Namine giggle louder and Kairi, whom had just taken a big bite of her tuna-sandwich, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

The three of them were sitting in the school cafeteria, waiting for Sora, whom had not been present all day. The brunet had hastily explained to Roxas in the morning that he had an appointment at the dentist before lunch, so he would not be attending Science-class. Roxas had furrowed his brows at this, seeing as their mother had not mentioned anything about Sora going to the dentist, at least not that the blond had heard of.

Well, he shrugged inwardly. His twin had been acting all weird since Sunday, undoubtedly because of the fight with Riku. The two of them had yet to make up, and Roxas figured that not being able to see or talk to Riku was getting on the brunet's nerves, not to mention stained his heart. Come to think of it, the whole situation seemed to be affecting Riku quite a lot as well. The blond had not seen the silver haired teen once this week, and considering today was Thursday, that was rather odd.

Seeing as both Sora and Riku were too wrapped up in their own troubles, Roxas found himself spending time with Kairi and Naminé. Axel, of course dropped by to see him as soon as he got the chance, but the blond had not spoken to him since yesterday, seeing as the red head was currently working with an assignment given by none other than Mr. Valentine. (Which probably explained why he even bothered doing it at all.)

"I'm not digging Roxas! In fact, I believe that the only digging that has something to do with this case is the digging a certain red head did in your pa—"

"Kairi!" Naminé, now blushing madly gave her big-mouthed friend a nudge in the shoulder.

Kairi only raised a brow and smirked at her. "Please Nami, not even you are naïve enough to believe that they were in there to," she gave Roxas a pointed look, "exchange homework."

Roxas glared at her. "Well, say what you want. That's what we did!"

They had had this particular conversation about a hundred times before, but the auburn haired girl never seemed to settle completely with the half-hearted explanation the blond teen had given her. Unluckily for Roxas and Axel, none other than Kairi had been there to walk by just as they climbed out of the small cabinet when the bell signalizing break was over, rang.

The blond shuddered faintly at the memory.

It was fair to say he had been vaguely happy with the interruption -God knows what could have happened had the bell not chimed-, yet Roxas could not deny the fact that he had been slightly disappointed. He and Axel had... uhm.. had a pretty nice time.

Feeling himself begin to blush, the blond quickly discharged himself of the pictures that had began to materialize in his head and turned his attention to the two girls he was sitting with. Naminé still appeared to be a bit embarrassed, judging by the pink glow that tainted her cheeks, but Kairi's gaze was filled with tomfoolery and her eyes clearly said 'I'm not buying it'.

Roxas scowled at her.

_Girls! Why did they always seem to know everything?_

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, all of them seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Well, except from Kairi, who once in a while commented something about someone who entered the cafeteria.

Roxas didn't bother to pay attention to her, as he chewed thoughtfully on his pizza-slice. He let his eyes drift off, and along with them, his mind.

They had only attended Destiny High for to weeks, but already the school's atmosphere had settled within the blond. He felt somewhat safe, and the place did not seem totally new to him anymore. He actually recognized a lot of faces and the structure of the building, the corridors and classrooms did not appear as unfamiliar as they did their first week.

With a faint smile he thought of all the people he had met and gotten to know, and even though the tension between Riku and Sora had been lingering inside of him the whole week, the blond could not help but feeling this almost overpowering happiness at the turn of events.

Not only had he made friends with characters like Naminé and Demyx, but he had experienced his first real romance.

Roxas almost chuckled at the thought.

His relationship with the red head had indeed happened really fast, almost too fast for the blond's liking, but Roxas would not change a thing. Well, except from that unpleasant accident with the bathtub before Demyx party perhaps.

Surprisingly, Roxas found that he did not scowl in embarrassment when he thought about it, like he used to do every single time the memory swept his mind, but actually smiled faintly. Axel had appeared as such an idiot back then. He remembered the red head's shocked voice when he realized that his stupid move with the camera had made the blond actually fall head over heals into the bath tub.

Suddenly, Roxas had to fight the urge to laugh. That felt like such a long time ago. After he'd gained his balance, with a little help from his red headed attacker, there had been a moment where he'd actually almost kissed Axel, but he reality had dawned on him in the last second. He had handled that particular situation in an incredibly immature way and he could not help but crack a smile as the image of him racing out of the bathroom in panic, nearly hitting the door frame on his way out, filled his mind.

_Axel... _

Roxas felt his insides heat up when he thought about the red head. It was almost surreal to think about the fact that one single person, a guy none the less, had just come into his life, swept the ground away underneath him, and turned his whole world upside down. All that in only a matter of days! That stupid, twisted, not to mention crazy, red head had really gotten him whipped, and there was not a single thing he could do about it!

The blond was grinning now. He imagined he had to appear pretty foolish, but he didn't really care.

Not until Naminé gave him a rather confused look that was.

He gave her a sheepish smile and shook his head faintly, a gesture that only made her furrow her brows even more. Kairi had also caught up on his behavior, and the auburn haired girl sent him a knowing smirk. "Thinking about Axel are we?"

For a moment, Roxas racked his mind for a decent reply, but when he could think of none, he simply beamed at her. "Yes."

The teenage girl looked stunned, to the point where both Naminé and Roxas barked out in laughter.

After a short couple of seconds, the auburn haired girl started giggling, and soon all three of them where laughing like maniacs.

"So... what's so funny? Axel failed his assignment and Mr. Valentine finally decided to kill him off?"

They all turned towards the newcomer, who appeared to be Zexion standing with a tray of food in his hands. The older boy wore his trademark, black clothes and his lilac hair covered the right side of his face as usual. Still, Roxas thought something seemed different about the teen. He could not place his finger upon it, but there was just... something. He seemed happier, more content.

Like his life had achieved some sort of greater meaning.

Kairi winked at him. "Well, even though I can't deny that the thought is very appealing, that's not the case."

Zexion grimaced. "Ah, that's too bad."

"What is?"

Demyx who had just walked up behind the lilac haired teen raised a curious brow at him, and the three youths around the table watched astounded as Zexion set his tray down on their table before giving the musician an affectionate kiss.

"You are." He answered when they pulled apart, smirking a little.

Demyx pouted, but was soon cut off by the other male's lips.

* * *

Riku reached for the alarm clock on his bedside table, only to find that it was half past twelve. 

Great. He had overslept again.

Well, nothing to do about that now... He might as well stay home.

The silver haired teen shook his head to get rid of his usual morning dizziness before climbing slowly out of the bed. The cold air in his room sent shivers down his spine and the fine hairs on his arms stood straight up. Wrapping himself in a blanket, he lazily loitered towards the door, grabbing a bag of chips standing on his desk as he passed it.

_What the heck, I can at least make this morning a bit less crappy._

He was about to exit when a buzzing sound was heard from inside the room, making him knit his brows. Realizing it came from his jacket, that was currently tossed shamelessly on the floor, the silver haired teen walked over and bent down, searching for what he understood had to be his phone in the pockets.

When he finally got a hold of it, it was an unknown number, so Riku just flipped it open and answered in a monotone voice.

After a moment of silence, a lady's voice came ramming through the speaker, asking if his name was Riku Hitachi.

He confirmed, and for some odd reason, this lump materialized in his belly, making him feel all but uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry Mr. Hitachi, but there has been an accident." The lady sounded sad, or concerned maybe. Riku didn't know. All the knew was that the wad in his stomach grew tighter.

"..." He could not find his own voice, so he waited for the woman to continue.

"Do you recognize the name Sora Kitamura?"

Riku's arm went limp and the phone fell from his hand, hitting the carpet with a loud 'thud'.

* * *

**A/N:** Dundunduuuuuuuun!! Cliffhanger!! (And this time, I'm happy to say it's a real one!) 

Thank you for reviewing!

Demyx: I'm not bad...

Na: Yes you are...

Demyx: Are not!

Na: Are too!

Demyx: Are not!

Na: Are TOO!

Demyx: ARE NOOOT!

Na: -waveres gag infront og Dem's face- What?

Demyx: ... -glares-

Na: -smirks-


	22. Chapter 22

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...

**A/N:** Chapter 22 is up! I'm actually really excited about this chapter, and I hope you guys will like it too! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are extremely awsome! I can't believe you have given me that many!! -Hugs all of you-

_Please enjoy!!_

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

**Chapter Twenty-two**

**"Angelic"**

**-**

Riku ran faster than he had ever ran before. His shoes slamming frantically against the green linoleum floor and the harsh sound was thrown back from the walls, echoing through the corridor. Clearly, one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling was broken, because the greenish light flickered rapidly, threatening to leave a part of the hallway pitch black. The silver haired teen felt his blood throbbing in his veins, making him all but dizzy, but he never slowed down on his pace.

His chest ached, eyes burned like a thousand stoves and the knot in his stomach was by now so solid that it caused actual pain. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and the knuckles had lost all color, much like his face. The silver haired teen could not suppress the choked sobs that escaped him frequently, and he was surprised his heart was still able to beat, as much as it hurt.

Passing through an open glass door, he noticed a big, circular information desk, harboring a corpulent black lady with braids covering half her scalp. She was currently typing away at her computer, too lost in her own work to notice the upset teen entering the room, panting like an overworked locomotive.

Exhausted from running, Riku plunged at the counter, hands gripping the wooden material like it was the only thing that kept him from drowning. Breathing hard, he had to swallow several timed before being able to utter a word.

The firm, braided lady stopped typing and rose a brow at him, but didn't comment about the way he was leaning over the desk. She just folded her arms over her chest and waited for the silver hair teen to catch his breath. When Riku was finally capable of speaking, his voice came out in a desperate, high-pitched tone.

"Sora Kitamura! I'm looking for Sora Kitamura! They- This lady, she called me- She said- She—"

The woman placed a wobbly hand, covered with heavy, golden rings over his. "Hey!" She sounded stern, but the concern and warmth in her voice was evident. "You need to relax young man, or someone will have to come her and ask for you after you've suffered from a heart attack!"

Her dark brown eyes locked with his and the way they quietly, but firmly told him to lose his panic made the youth's breath loosen up faintly. The knot in his stomach seemed to soften, and with a shaky sigh, Riku inhaled deeply.

Feeling how she squeezed his hand gently, the silver haired teen found himself calming down a little, but while his body relaxed, his heart just continued hurting, and the beatings were by now far from rhythmic. It seemed as if the pumping muscle was not only overloaded, but semi-paralyzed and therefore not capable of working properly.

He had been running all the way from his house to the hospital, not even thinking of taking the car. He _had_, however, remembered the fact that he indeed had a car, but when he noticed, he was already half way there and there was no way in hell Riku would turn back. Therefore, the silver haired teen had been running until his knees nearly gave in, and his heart almost imploded, not even caring about it. The only thing that had filled his head and inner vision was the image of a big, lopsided grin and a set of sparkling azure eyes.

_Sora._

The moment Riku had heard Sora's name uttered from the lady calling his cellphone, the silver haired teen had known something was wrong. His mind had somehow shut down, along with all his body functions. The moment his best friend and the word 'accident' was mentioned together, Riku had dropped the phone he was holding, not even capable of curling his fingers around it. That precise moment, it had felt like his world was splintered into pieces, shattered, like a fragile lamp of glass. The lamp that held his fire, his light.

After being completely limp for a couple of seconds, reality had come crashing down on him, hitting him in the face like a fist. Then, he'd found himself on the floor, searching desperately for his phone, finding it and tumbling terribly with it before finally being able to tuck it to his ear. The following five minutes had been the worst five minutes of his entire life, and Riku doubted that was ever going to change.

_Sora._

There had been an accident. An accident that involved his Sora. His precious Sora...

Riku wanted to scream, or to just slam his head against the sleek, wooden desk.

He gripped the black woman's hand harder, clinging to her like a dying person to the last remains of life. His own, pale ones were by now shaking uncontrollably, fingernails digging desperately into the soft flesh embracing them.

"Please..." His voice held no power, and if Riku had not been far too concerned about Sora, the silver haired teen probably would've felt ashamed because of the way it quivered roughly.

"Please... can I see him?"

* * *

Axel arrived at the hospital shortly after Roxas. 

It had taken him less than fifteen minutes to get there, something that quite truthfully shocked the blond to the extreme.

The red head's clothes were all but disheveled and his flaming hair appeared to have never encountered a comb. The moment his emerald orbs met the blond's, Roxas was bombarded with affection, all of it directed solely at him. The blond felt his insides warm up a little, and the ice cold fist that had mercilessly clenched around his heart loosened it's grip slightly when looking into the green depths. There were evident black rings underneath them, inclining that he hadn't had nearly enough sleep lately, - most certainly because of Mr. Valentine's assignment, but Axel's mind appeared to be occupied with only Roxas, and his ragged look only proved the fact that he was genuinely upset. Axel never left the house without looking his best.

The blond did not even care that his mother was in the same room, only inches away. He just let go of her hand for a slight moment and reached out towards Axel, who rapidly took a hold of him and tucked him to his chest. Leaning against the warm, solid body, Roxas let out a shaky sob, and the tears that had threatened to break free ever since he'd gotten the horrible message, suddenly filled his eyes, making his vision blurry. Gripping Axel's shoulders, Roxas buried his face into the soft fabric of the red head's shirt and cried. Axel clenching his jaws tightly, let his hands travel up and down the trembling blond's back, making soothing patterns only he knew the meaning of. Roxas felt like his heart was about to crack, and the burning sensation in his chest was so painful, so overwhelming. He tried to breathe normal, but the task was easier said than done and the fact that Axel was there, comforting him only made his weeping increase.

It felt so— so _right_ to have Axel there with him. The feeling of his arms around him, the faint smell of cinnamon tickling in his nose, the warmth that seemed to radiate...

"Mrs. Kitamura?"

Roxas spun around, facing the nurse that had appeared and was now addressing his mother softly. She wore a light pink uniform and was currently holding a writing pad and a pen in her arms.

Her face was fair and gentle.

Round, rosy cheeks was framed by light-brown locks and her mouth seemed to be formed in a natural pout. A pout that reminded Roxas of Sora.

Mrs. Kitamura's head shot up from her hands and her tear rimmed face held so man emotions that Roxas thought he'd never witnessed his mother this distraught. Her eyes were merely visible behind the thick wall of tears and her lips were nothing but a thin, tight line.

"Yes?" Roxas wanted to hug her. She sounded so fragile, so scared. Like her very life depended on the woman standing before her. Or rather her words.

In some way, Roxas thought, he felt the same thing.

The moment Miss Gainsborough had stepped into his classroom that morning and asked Mr. Jones to have a word with Roxas, the blond had gotten this weird, fluttering feeling in his stomach. As if there was a thousands of bugs crawling around in there. He had followed her out, not sure what to make out of the whole situation. After settling on the blue, plushy couch in her office, the itching feeling inside of him just grew stronger, and when Miss Gainsborough caught his gaze, jade eyes gleaming softly at him, his insides suddenly curled and he felt like throwing up.

This could not be good.

Apparently his intuition was working just fine, because when he less than half an hour later, arrived at the hospital with the school nurse and Mr. Valentine, he was faced with the worst news he had ever encountered.

His brother, was hit by a car.

Sora, had been hit by a car!

Apparently, his brother had been walking somewhere between Destiny Beach Promenade and Papoú Heaven when the accident occurred. Roxas had no idea what his brother had been doing there at that precise moment when he was supposed to be at school. He remembered Sora telling him about that dentist-appointment, but clearly, that had been a lie.

Why would Sora lie about something like that?

If he had wanted to skip school, Roxas would never have turned him in or something. Roxas had relied on Sora loads of times in those kinds of situations, and he was sure that his brother trusted him not to tell, so why?

The blond simply could not understand a damn thing of any of this.

Anyway, for whatever unknown reason Sora had for walking around alone like that, he apparently had not seen the black Audi that came skidding at him from around a sharp corner, and he had gotten hit.

The ambulance had arrived on the spot in minutes and tried to wake the lifeless teen up.

Sora had bled badly, and his right arm was broken. The ambulance crew soon decided a few ribs had snapped as well, and the teen's chest and stomach was badly scraped.

Apart from that, he was suffering from a massive blow in the head, a blow that had knocked him unconscious. He had, however woken up for a few seconds, only to mutter the name "Riku" over and over again, blood pooling from his mouth. The blood instantly compounded the situation, and the brunet had to be taken to the hospital immediately, the ambulance crew suspecting severe inner bleedings. They did, however get a hold of this "Riku", who was a person in his contact list. Seeing as Sora had not carried an ID, it was the best thing they could have done to identify him.

Roxas knew Riku was somewhere in the hospital, probably at the bathroom right now. The silver haired teen had been the first to come there. He was there before Roxas and his mother, and when Mrs. Kitamura saw him, she instantly threw herself at him, crying shamelessly into the crook of his neck.

At that precise moment, while watching his mother and Riku desperately clinging to each other, Roxas realized this was the two persons that knew Sora best in the whole world.

His mother had watched him grow older every single day, and observed with all the love a mother can muster for her child, how her little baby got stronger, tougher, more characterized, more _Sora, _by each passing second.

She had seen him become the person he was to this day, and even though she was not such a big part of his life now as she was earlier, Mrs. Kitamura was indeed the rock in Sora's environment.

Along with Riku.

Riku, whom was now holding his mother firmly in his arms, running his fingers gently though her soft, dark locks. Comforting her in a way only someone who knew her pain could. Someone who knew, because he went through that exact same pain.

Now, that pain was clearly evident in his mother's broken face. She looked up at the nurse as her tears kept falling into her lap. They had been waiting for over an hour, and now, the time had come to receive the truth.

Roxas felt his heart speed up it's pace as he waited for the brown haired nurse to speak, and Axel gripped his hand tightly.

The nurse lowered the pad from her chest and looked at it for a split second before her eyes turned back to Mrs. Kitamura. Then, she smiled.

When Roxas saw the gesture, he felt how this enormous burden was lifted from his shoulder and without being able to stop it, he fell back against Axel's chest and let the red head embrace him once again. Axel kissed his forehead timidly, but Roxas was too happy to bother checking if his mother or the nurse even noticed.

"He'll be fine."

* * *

Sora's eyes were closed when they entered his room. His face was pale against the pillow and his spiky hair more mussed that usual. An intravenous needle was attached to the arm that was not broken, and his forehead was bruised terribly, the dark blue mark a rotundly contrast to his see through skin. Roxas felt his heart clench at the sight, but when his mother let out a tiny whimper at his side, Sora's eyes fluttered open, and a weak smile materialized in his face. 

"Hey..." his voice was drained of power and his throat sounded dry.

Mrs. Kitamura rushed to his side. "Hey baby..." She wiped her eyes and nose before clearly pulling herself together. One of her hands came up to rest carefully against her son's cheek.

Sora's azure eyes softened even more while looking at his mother, and the smile grew larger. "Mom..."

The small word seemed to be to much for Mrs. Kitamura, who started crying again, this time unable to stop her own shoulders from shaking. Axel, still holding Roxa's hand planted another quick kiss on the blond's head before releasing him. Roxas hesitantly walked up to his twin, and when Sora's eyes met his, the blond felt his own tears start to flow. Sora looked so... so... _angelic_.

Roxas tried to swallow away the lump in his throat and moved so he was standing next to his mother. Sora eyed both of them for a minute, his gaze also drifting to Axel in the doorway, and a warm, happy expression ascended in his face.

"I'm so glad you're here."

They spent the next few minutes talking softly with Sora, and the brunet seemed awake and well enough to answer most of them. He had some difficulties speaking, but the nurse assured them that he would be just fine, and that he was doing great.

Roxas and Axel told Sora about the fact that Mr. Valentine and Miss Gainsborough had followed Roxas to the hospital, and that they were both probably waiting in the hospital's cafeteria. Sora seemed surprised by the news, but he was also genuinely grateful. After thinking about it for a second, Roxas opened his mouth to tell his twin about another person who was also waiting in the hospital, but he never got the chance, because before he could speak, the door flew open, making everyone in the room turn their heads towards it.

Riku stood in the doorway.

His face was paler than the sheets, and his eyes unbelievably big. Roxas was shocked by the older teen's pained expression and the blond was sure he had never in his life seen Riku like this. The silver haired teen, however, did not even seem to take notice of him, or anyone else on the room for that matter. His gaze was locked at Sora and he appeared to have frozen completely to the spot.

Roxas glanced over at his twin.

Sora, still a bit dizzy it seemed, blinked back at him, supposedly trying to get the silver haired teen properly into focus. However, before such a thing had the time to happen, said teen let out a pained cry and rushed forward.

Before anyone could even think of preventing it, Riku reached Sora's bed and with all the suddenness in the universe, the silver haired teen fell halfway to his knees, elbows resting on the madras. The next thing that happened was, in Roxas opinion, totally uncalled for, and so surprising the blond had to squeeze his eyes shut and open them several times before believing it.

Riku was crying.

Trembles ran through his body, making his shoulders jumping uncontrollably.

His face was buried in his hands and his silver hair covered them like streaming stardust. Sora's blue eyes had widened amazingly and he seemed completely appalled by the silver haired teen's behavior. His eyes widened ever more however, when Riku inhaled sharply and lifted his head, and suddenly pulled him close.

"Sora!" His voice was stained with emotions and Roxas nearly choked over the sole fact that Riku showed this kind of sentiments at all.

"Sora..." Riku buried his head in the crook of the younger boy's neck and his arms locked around him so tightly Roxas was afraid Sora might get hurt.

"Sora..." The silver haired teen shivered violently, and the way he was gripping the smaller brunet seemed so out of character as something could possibly get.

Was this really Riku?

Sora seemed to think the same thing, because his jaws had gone slack, giving him a slightly flabbergasted look. Slowly, his hands traveled up the silver haired teens back before settling, carefully returning the embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you..." he mumbled against the brunet's shoulder. "I thought I'd fucking lost you Sora!" By this point, his tears were pouring again and Roxas could only continue to gawk.

"How could I've— How could I've possibly _lived _without you?"

Sora, still gaping like an idiot, continued blinking.

"You are the most precious thing in my life!" he ranted impetuous, "you are the reason I want to keep breathing each second! The moment I heard about this accident..." his voice broke down as another sob forced it's way from his lips.

He gently released Sora...

After wiping his eyes harshly with his sleeve, the silver haired teen continued to stare at the brunet attached to the bed. Sora's eyes looked as if they were about to pop right out of their sockets, and the blush that had early descended in his cheeks was now so strong it looked like he'd been using their mother's lipstick all over his face.

One of Riku's hands suddenly lifted and grabbed Sora's uninjured hand.

"Sora... I know this might be to much for you right now, but I... Nearly losing you made me realize there should be no such thing as waiting to tell someone how you feel. I can't describe the pain I felt when you..." his voice trailed of again and another set of tears blinked threateningly in his aqua eyes.

He cleared his throat and inhaled shakily.

For a split second there was something akin to fear in his turquoise depths and Roxas could have bet his entire _Wildlife Collection _on the fact that he saw the silver haired teen's lip quiver faintly.

Then, out of the blue, his hands cupped the smaller boy's cheeks and without warning the silver haired teen said something that almost made Roxas fall to the floor in shock.

"I love you Sora."

The room fell completely silent. Not the kind of silence that is usually present in a hospital, but the kind where everyone is holding their breath over something. Not even Mrs. Kitamura's soft sniffles were heard, and the earlier tapping of Axel's foot had stopped abruptly.

All eyes were aimed at Riku, every single pair filled with enormous surprise. The silver haired teen did not seem to notice though. His gaze had long since locked with Sora's, who had now turned so pale he resembled a porcelain doll. No, Roxas corrected in his mind, a porcelain doll drowned in _chlorine_!

The brunet seemed completely aghast. His mouth, hanging open.

"I love you so damn much! You— I... I've— I always have Sora."

Riku took another deep breath and caught the gaze of the stunned brunet in the bed. Sora's colorless face almost made him look like a ghost.

_No! God, don't think such thoughts! _

Roxas hastily shook his head and got rid of the mental image of Sora, pale and unmoving between the sheets and turned his attention back to Riku.

"I love you Sora. More than a friend should, a lot more. More than anything in this world," he paused.

"You are my light."

* * *

A/N: I. Am. Exhausted.

I have not written so fast ever, and this just came to me like.. like.. yeah, I don't really know! As you can tell, Riku /FINALLY/ came out and confessed, and Sora had no choice but to listen! I loved that part!

And seriously... I 've gotten so many reviews pleading me not to kill Sora... -Laughs-

Especially I nearly choked because I lauhged so hard at the one that mentioned me as a "sadist" (yes, I believe that was the exact word). But guys! I would never /kill/ Sora! I love him too! A lot!! Haha, but your enthusiasm is great! I

love you all!! -Update will come soon! (Hopefully)


	23. Chapter 23

**Warning:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer: **Not mine...

**A/N: **So, this is chapter 23! YAY! I want to welcome the new readers, and thank all of you for reviewing! I love that!

I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to tell me what you think!

**

* * *

**

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty Three_

_"A Mother's Cheer"_

_-_

Sora's eyes were bigger than Roxas had ever seen them. They reminded the blond of two gigantic, blue soup bowls, and Roxas was genuinely surprised they did not plop right out of his brother's skull. The large azure surfaces were fixed directly at a certain silver haired teen, standing at his side.

Roxas gave a glance in that direction.

Riku looked completely drained from power, and his face seemed colorless, almost ghost-like. His aqua orbs seemed clouded, like he had pulled a curtain in front of them, but yet, the way he regarded Sora reminded Roxas of a deer caught in the flashlights. He appeared almost paralyzed, entranced with the brunet's astounded gaze. Roxas thought it was pretty amazing he did not faint, seeing as he looked about to do so at any time. He even swayed vaguely on the spot.

Roxas, himself was pretty aghast. What the hell had all that been about?  
Had the silver haired teen just confessed his love to his twin?  
To Sora?  
Had Riku just told Sora that he was in love with him? Correction, that he _loved_ him?!

Roxas was shocked, and hadn't it been for the awkward silence the room was bathed in, the blond would have thought the whole thing out to be a hallucination.

Not that he hadn't suspected there to be something going on between the two of them. The thoughts had already begun to stir the time he found Sora crying on his bed after the whole Kairi and Riku-episode, but the blond never really imagined...

He shook his head hastily, still trying to get it all into perspective.

So, Riku loved Sora.  
His brother.  
And he had done so for quite a while.

_Man! This is weird!_

There had always been a special connection between the two boys, ever since they were in diapers, but nothing really said anything about love, did it?  
Just because one have a special bond with someone does not mean love has to be a part of the picture?

Roxas mused further.

They had been friends for what seemed like forever and they practically knew each other better than they knew themselves. Not a day went by without them speaking, and it would seem they shared the same brain sometimes. Or, wait... Nobody, not even someone who loved the brunet could possibly stand sharing his brain for more than... no, forget it, they simply wouldn't.  
Anyway, all those facts still did not explain where this sudden confession had come from.  
Even though something was in order to happen between the two boys, the whole situation was just extremely weird! The confession had come right out of the blue. Like rain on a sunny day.

Well, maybe not a _sunny_ day, a lightly clouded one perhaps, but still!

Roxas understood that Riku had probably suddenly realized his feelings for Sora, and therefore freaked out completely once he found out the brunet was at the hospital.  
In a flash, Roxas imagined how it would have affected him if Axel had ended up in injured like that.

_Please! No such thoughts!_

He suddenly found himself reaching out for Axel's hand, making the red head move hesitantly across the floor to catch it. Nobody seemed to notice however, as their attention was turned pretty much elsewhere.

Once Axel's hand was securely in his, Roxas swallowed before tilting his head slightly to look at his mother. Surely, Mrs. Kitamura was shocked too. She had to be! Her son's best friend had just blurted out with the fact that he was in love with said son! The blond expected to find her face completely strartled. He definitely did not expect her to_ smile_!

_What?!_

The young man could only gape.

His mother's eyes were filled with tears, and the brown haired woman had clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if she was telling a prayer. Her cheeks had gained some color, and the big, warm smile that seemed to cover half of her face made her whole appearance _glow_. She was regarding Riku, who did not even seem to take notice of her, with all the joy in the world trapped in her eyes.

Roxas blinked confusedly.

_What on earth is going on? _

His mother didn't even seem to be surprised, just genuinely happy! The blond was aware of himself gawking, but he really could not help it. He had no power over his facial features at that precise moment. Not before he felt Axel discretely tapping his shoulder, did he manage to gain some control. With a loud 'clack' he snapped his mouth shut and gritted his teeth almost painfully.

Somewhere in the back of him mind, a vague snigger was heard, but when he thought about it, the blond figured it was probably just Axel. The red head had this fetish for annoyance.

He mentally slapped the older teen, and surprisingly, the chuckling stopped.

_Whey for mental powers!_

His attention turned back to Mrs. Kitamura, who was still gazing at the silver haired teen at Sora's bedside. Roxas had absolutely no idea how she could remain so composed -although evidently happy- and unsurprised. She looked almost as if these were old news, and the way her smile had slowly turned into something akin to a smirk made Roxas think she was part of some sort of secret collusion.

Shaking these thoughts out of his head, he turned to focus at the two boys that were now staring at each other, both seemingly too enthralled with the other's gaze to take notice of anything or anyone else in the room. Riku, still swaying faintly was about as pale as a snowman, and his hands, that had earlier cupped Sora's cheeks now hung limp at his side.

No one made a sound. The only thing that was heard was the casual beeping of Sora' heart-rate machine. Roxas could've bet money on the fact that even the lifeless equipment in the room held it's breath, and the whole atmosphere reeked of curiousness.

Then, Sora's mouth opened slowly.

"What?" he was hoarse, and his voice barely a whisper.

Riku swallowed harshly. His aqua orbs flickered for a moment before locking with the brunet's once more. He was clearly encouraging himself. After what seemed like hours, he finally spoke.

"I love you."

Sora bit his lip and now it was his turn to waver. His eyes drifted from the silver haired teen at his side to his mother who was actually _smiling? _at him, then to Axel and Roxas who were holding hands.

_Wait a sec..._

The brunet narrowed his eyes as he regarded the two hands that were affectionately clasped together and for a second, he froze, staring.

With wide eyes the brunet observed the way Roxas hand seemed to fit so perfectly into Axel's and the way the red head's thumb was gently stroking it. The soft touches seemed so natural, so honest. Without understanding why, Sora kept staring and everything else in the room just sort of disappeared. Axel's hand, he noted quietly to himself, was bigger, lankier, and the digits much longer than his brother's. It was also paler, almost white compared to Roxas'. Yet, he mused, they seemed like the perfect match.

Sora swallowed.

Entranced with the slow, gentle movements of Axel's hand, he suddenly found himself unable to breathe. For a second, his heart stopped beating, and his breath hitched in his throat.

_The perfect match. _

_Axel and Roxas... _

_They don't care if... _

_They're just happy being with each other._

_Because in their hearts they must know... _

_They must know they are the perfect match!_

Suddenly, the brunet whirled around, so fast he nearly twisted himself in the sheets and for a breathless second, he just stared at the silver haired teen in front of him. Riku's eyes widened slowly, and an almost frighted look appeared in their depths. For some breathtaking seconds, they just stared at each other, then, the brunet lounged out with his uninjured arm, and grabbed Riku by the collar. With a strength he should not have been able to collect in his state, Sora forced the silver haired teen so close their noses were almost touching. His sapphire orbs were large with both fear and wonder, and a natural pout had formed on his lips. He seemed totally bewitched by Riku's face, and Roxas suddenly found himself wondering if his twin had gone into a state of shock ore something akin to that. Then, the brunet blinked, and without another second of hesitation, he brought their lips together. Riku gave a startled wince and his whole body tensed to the extent it looked like he was about to fall dead to the floor.

Roxas was shocked. Struck by some sort of extraneous lightning who could clearly move though walls.

Was his brother actually kissing Riku?!

_Sweet Jesus, my eyes must be deceiving me!_

He snapped his eyes shut several times, but each time he opened them, he saw the the same sight. Sora and Riku were indeed kissing!

Riku was completely aghast. Sora was kissing him?

The older teen could not believe it. His Sora was_ kissing_ him!

The silver haired boy felt as if he was dying inside. The feeling of Sora's lips upon his own was like heaven. No, it was better! Nothing could compare to this! Riku felt tears materialize in his eyes despite himself, and without realizing it, he let out the breath he had been holding.

Sora was kissing him!

Riku swore he could've died from happiness, and the fluttering feeling in his chest only increased as the smaller brunet wrapped his hand around his neck, tugging him closer. The silver haired teen soon found himself lost in the kiss, and for a split second, the world seemed to spin so fast it made him dizzy. He poured every little inch of his soul into this kiss, quietly hoping Sora would understand how much pain, how much_ longing_ there had been before this could happen.

His stomach did a violent twist and his eyes fell closed.

He was kissing Sora! His best friend! The person he had been through almost everything with. The one person he simply could not live without. The light of his existence, the only reason the universe was still there! His hands came up to latch themselves in the other's brown spikes, and he could not stop a tiny moan from escaping his lips.

That was when he realized they were not alone.

As that reality came crashing at him, Riku's eyes flew open and even though it was the last thing he wanted in the world, he pulled away from Sora. After catching his breath for a couple of seconds, his gaze shifted from the floor to look at the brown haired woman on the other side of the bed. Feeling his face redden considerably, he caught Mrs. Kitamura's eyes, only to find her dissolved in tears and with a big, cheerful grin plastered upon her fair features. The look she gave him was one of pure bliss, and Riku could not help his jaw from dropping to the floor.

She was _smiling_?

She was smiling at _him_?

After he had kissed her little angel in a hospital bed just after he had been hit by a goddamn car?!

Yep, she was indeed smiling.

The silver haired teen swallowed, opened his mouth to speak, only to find that the words were stuck in his throat. That's when he felt a skimpier hand grip his own firmly. Casting a quick glance at Sora, he saw that the younger boy's eyes were filled with the same warmth he had earlier felt when kissing him and his heart ached from all the affection he felt towards the brunet. Braver now, he turned to look at Sora's mother, and this time, the words actually came out.

"I—uh... Mrs. Kitamura, I'm—"

"Riku," she cut him off, her bright eyes locking with his, "if you as much as try to tell me you're sorry about kissing my son, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!"

She paused as Riku's eyes grew impossibly big.

"I have been waiting to hear those words from you for years now!" She gave him a pointed look.

"Don't seem so surprised Riku. You should remember that I was there all along, watching you. I've seen it coming for a long time," she firmly continued to hold his gaze, " I'm not blind."

Riku did not know how to reply to that, as he found it much easier just to gawk at her. Watching with amusement, Roxas saw how his mother's lips tugged upwards while regarding the stunned teen.

"Sweetheart... I know you. And I most certainly know my son," at this, her eyes left Riku for a moment and fell on Sora, who was smiling nervously, "and, believe it or not, but I've seen the way you two act around each other." She turned her attention to Riku again.

"You've always been so nice to him, so gentle. This, despite the fact that you have words on you to be quite mocking sometimes. You have taken care of Sora since you were mere kids, and never once have you left him to hang out with older, more popular people." Sora whined at Riku's side,

"Moooom! I'm popular! ...Enough."

Riku could not help but chuckle, but quickly regained his seriousness.

Mrs. Kitamura, now smiling widely continued. "It was, however, during the past few months, I became certain. Riku, have you not noticed that the two of you have been fighting much more often lately? You both seemed to easily become annoyed at each other, and the things you argued about was such trivial things. Things of no real importance. Things that only couples argues about," she paused a little. "You have practically acted like a couple for a long amount of time, and the way you look at one another..." She grinned brighter.

"You are both so obvious!"

"So..." came Sora's uncertain voice, "you're not mad?"

"Mad?" The brown haired woman regarded her son with an almost shocked expression.

"Of course not Sora! Why on earth would I be mad? How_ could_ I possible be?" She shook her head in awe, dark locks fluttering around her head. "Darling, you want this right?"

Sora licked his lips, his eyes darted from her to Riku whom was still holding his hand. The surprise was evident in the silver haired teen's face as well and Sora noticed the faint blush that covered his best friends cheeks. Pulling his gaze away, he nodded his head slowly. "Yeah... I do. I do want this," his eyes met with Riku's, "I want you."

Mrs. Kitamura just beamed. "Then I'm happy Sora. For both of you."

* * *

"Well, that went nice?" Axel chuckled as they loitered across the big parking lot that belonged to the hospital. The afternoon sun had the surroundings bathed in a glowing, orange light, and a soft breeze made the trees waver gently. Roxas, brushing away a few strains of hair from his face raised an eyebrow at the lanky teen walking beside him. 

"You think, huh?"

The red head grinned. "Sure! Did you not hear your mother?"

Roxas rolled his eyes and huffed a little. "Yeah, but really, the whole thing just reeked of drama!"

Axel jokingly poked him in the ribs. "Aw, Sunshine! Don't be such a mood-killer!"

The blond punched back, making the red head yelp and rub his shoulder. Feeling the power of victory, Roxas smirked. The smirk soon disappeared however, when Axel pulled him by the collar and held him tightly as he mussed his hair. Roxas screeched and waved his arms as he struggled to get free. Axel just laughed before finally letting go of him.

The blond, now wearing a pretty puzzled look, regarded him with a pout.

"Meanie."

Axel suppressed a giggle at the childish expression. Roxas saw his amusement and narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

The red head just shook his head. "Nothing," he smiled lazily and brought his head down, fingers intertwining in Roxas' soft spikes. "You're just so adorable."

Frowning a little, the blond caught Axel's gaze.

His eyes were clouded with desire and need.

Roxas felt his own body turn to mush, and gave a soft moan as the red head captured his lips. After exploring the wet cavern of Axel's mouth for some time, he slowly pulled away and let his eyes roam over the cat-like face he had come to love so much.

_Wait, what?_

Roxas furrowed his brows. Did he just think of Axel and the word 'love' in the same sentence?

The blond gulped a little.

_Well, that's.. uhm.. weird..._

He did not have time to figure out exactly what that meant, seeing as he was abruptly interrupted by the loud honk of a car. He let go of Axel and turned to see who it could be, and when he did, he felt a by now familiar chill run down his spine.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that was it... This chapter had me going through a lot of struggles. My brain simply would not cooperate with my fingers, so writing it was kinda' hard. Man, you guys, I just have to say, you amaze me so much! Your reviews are both informative (on what's good and what can be better) AND nice! I love to read them and everytime I see a new one, I'm on cloud nine. 

You are wonderful! So, who was the person honking? Lol... not much of a cliffhanger there... And Roxas thinks he might /love/ something about Axel? Sniggers

Well, I hope you liked it, and that you will stay tuned for the next chapter of "Shifting Roads"!

-Love Naro

Demyx: ... -sulks-

Na: -pokes Dem in ribs- ?

Demyx: -glares- I was not in this chapter NOR was I in the previous one!

Na: -Lifts eyebrow- You're sulking cause you're not in the spotlight? Because Riku and Sora, Axel and Roxas are having a good time, feeling the love?

Demyx: -gaps- When you say it like that you make me sound so dumb and selfish!

Na: ... Exactly...


	24. Chapter 24

Warning: Yaoi

Disclaimer: Not mine...

**A/N:** Thank you guys so much for the reviews!! I simply adore you!! Hope you enjoy the twenty fourth chapter of Shifting Roads!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty four_

_"Dishwasher Romance"_

_-_

When the old, dirty mustang pulled up outside Roxas' house, the sun had already begun to set making the sky burn in different shades of red, orange and purple. In the far horizon, small, shimmering stars had appeared and the surrounding mountains were nothing but looming shadows. Roxas held Axel's hand as the two of them climbed out of the vehicle and made a small smile when they shivered in unison at the chilly wind that ghosted over their forms. Turning around so that he faced the car, the blond waved at the one in the drivers seat.

"Thank you for giving us a ride!"

Miss Gainsborough beamed back at him. "You're welcome Roxas! We'd do it anytime!" She winked at him and turned to poke the person sitting next to her in the passengers seat, "Right Vincent?"

Mr. Valentine only grumbled something under his breath and gave the two teens a short nod. His -seemingly- naturally pale features appeared oddly scary when confronted with the fading light, and the shadows beneath his crimson eyes became deeper, only increasing his I'm-an-undead-creature-from-the-underworld-factor. His long black hair, held in place by a blood-colored band, wavered in the breeze, making a strong contrast to his skin and the thin line that resembled his lips tugged upwards, reminding Roxas of a sneering predator. The blond felt himself gulp a little. His headmaster sure was one scary, not to mention quiet bastard.

Even Cloud's friend, Miss Kisaragi, the self declared super-ninja who just randomly kicked people, did not make it to his level of creepiness.

The blond had absolutely no idea of how the sweet, charming Miss Gainsborough could stand being around someone so cold and embedded. She was like a ray of sunshine in comparison. No, she was the friggin' sun! Roxas doubted he had ever seen such contrasts get along. Except from Demyx and Zexion maybe. Those guys had to be some sort of miracle-couple. Roxas chuckled at his own thoughts and received a raised brow from Mr. Valentine.

The nurse and the headmaster had been waiting in the hospital cafeteria ever since they drove Roxas there, and were on their way home when they had encountered the blond and Axel in the parking lot. Neither of them had wanted to leave before they knew the outcome of the situation and from what Roxas could tell from their conversation, Mrs. Gainsborough had demanded an update on Sora's contidion quite a few times during their stay there.

The fact that his teachers cared about his brother's safety to that extent made Roxas incredibly grateful and the blond felt a strong urge to let them both know that. However, when he told them, they waved him off in a friendly way and reassured him that it was the only right thing to do. Or, as Miss Gainsborough shot in, the only human thing to do. Roxas had smirked inwardly at this.

Mr. Valentine and the word 'human' in the same sentence?

_Yeah right._

During the ride, Miss Gainsborough, or Aerith, as the fair woman insisted they should call her, had questioned the boys about Sora. Both Axel and Roxas had intentionally avoided to mention Riku or anything that could be related to the whole confession-case, but the nurse had not seemed to take notice of their vaguely chopped answers. She just appeared genuinely happy that Sora was okay.

The warm feeling Roxas had gotten from that however, had subsequently been threatened by the weird, not to mention spooky chill that seemed to follow a certain red-caped headmaster around, and the blond would never be able to describe the gleeful, relieved feeling that erupted in his chest when he climbed out of the car. Throughout most of the time they had spent in the vehicle, Roxas had felt Mr. Valentine's burning gaze in the mirror, and the fact that he and Miss Gainsborough had 'caught' him and Axel red handed in the parking lot made his insides squirm. The last thing he wanted was for his headmaster to make opinions about him and the red head. Although, he doubted that his suspicion had roots in the real life. Mr. Valentine just wasn't the type to gossip, not even in his own mind.

_Haha, Mr. Valentine gossip... _

The blond suppressed the urge to giggle, and again, a set of crimson orbs flashed dangerously his way, abruptly shutting him up.

* * *

Cloud looked worried, and his hair was a complete mess. Much like his younger brother, Cloud's hair tended to become a lot spikier when he was upset or excited about something, almost like he had been struck by lightning and was still electric. His eyes almost seemed to glow, and the bags beneath them spoke of a big amount of worry. Undoubtedly because of what had happened to Sora.

It had surprised Roxas to find that Cloud was not alone, but in the company of a certain English teacher. Leon and Cloud had been seated in the living room couch and judging by the empty cups of coffee that were located on the wooden table, they had been there for quite a while. Cloud almost jumped them when they entered the room and before either of them had the chance to speak, the blond had spilled more words than Roxas remembered him to ever have uttered at once.

"Where's Sora?"

"Is he okay?!"

"Did the doctors tell you anything?!"

"Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"Where's mom?!"

Roxas could only gawk at such an eagerness. Even if Cloud definitely had his reasons, the blond was sure he had never ever experienced his older brother this.. uhm... talkative? Clearly, the waiting had taken its toll on him.

Mr. Leonheart also appeared to be slightly out of his regular modus, his stormy eyes filled with something Roxas could only describe as a combination of sympathy and restlessness. Even though his features were as rough as usual, his eyes seemed to soften faintly every time his gaze met with Cloud's.

It was as if they were speaking to each other without words and Roxas was pretty astounded by the way his brother seemed to relax around the brunet. None the less, Roxas was happy for his older brother. It seemed he had finally found someone he could spend time with, someone he felt good around and dared to be himself with. If nothing else, Cloud could at least be as mute as he felt like. Roxas could bet his head on the fact that their conversations -or lack there of- would mostly consist of only a few words.

Also,the youth had to admit was genuinely amazed about the fact that Cloud had so easily gained the stoic Mr. Leonheart's trust, not to mention his friendship.

_Well. _

_Friendship might not be the word. _

_Silent companionship?_

The deed was remarkable anyway. Mr. Leonheart did not give out an impression that said he was the easiest person to get along with.

"Roxas!" The blond jolted and realized he had been spacing out. Cloud, who had apparently called his name a various amount of times, was literally shaking him and the teen swore he heard his brain rattle.

"Sorry!" He shook his head hastily and steadied himself, brushing his clothes free from wrinkles.

"Sora's fine, mom's with him at the hospital. The doctors says he has to stay there over night."

At this Cloud let out the breath he had been holding and his shoulders fell several inches. Roxas noticed how Mr. Leonhart seemed to relax as well, and was a bit surprised to see Cloud give him something that could only be categorized as a broad smile. Then he turned to look at Roxas again and before the blond could even register what happened, his older brother had pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank God!" Cloud's voice was muffled and Roxas could hear how it was stained with relief.

The blond furrowed his brows, slightly baffled by his brother's behavior. The whole hugging session was really out of character seeing as Cloud wasn't the first person to enjoy physical contact, not to mention take the initiative to make such a thing. The quiet blond had always been refraining from intimacy so Roxas could not help but feel a tad out of place in Clouds arms. None the less, it felt good to be held by another being, a being that was not Axel or his mother, and the blond really appreciated his brother showing his feelings like this. It was an unusual happening.

"Yes, he was really lucky. Just think about what could've happened if..." Roxas could not finish, and noting this, Cloud tugged him closer.

"I know Rox. I know..." The two of them just stayed like that for a couple of seconds before Cloud pulled away and placed his hands on the youth's shoulders. "Now, tell me. How did this happen?"

* * *

"Hey Cloud." The blond straightened from his bent position by the dishwasher and met the gaze of the stoic brunet that had uttered his name. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he gave a short nod. "Yeah?"

Leon hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. "I'm glad the kid is okay."

Cloud gave a small smile. Hearing Leon say that meant a lot more than it would've done if someone else had said it. He knew how hard it was for the brunet to show any kind of affection so the short sentence held much more to it than what was evident.

"Thank you Leon."

Cloud had found that spending time with the other male made him act a lot more outgoing than he usually did around people. He smiled more, laughed more and even talked more. Despite the fact that he and Leon shared this silent comprehension, they had both adopted the habit of speaking their minds more often the past few days. They exchanged thoughts and beliefs, discussed both small and bigger things, getting to know the other better that way. Their conversations were never dull, seeing as both of them found some sort of release in them and sometimes they got so carried away by the topic that it took a while for them to realize they were speaking very loudly. Almost on the verge of shouting. A thing Cloud rarely ever did.

The blond regarded his newfound friend.

Leon was currently leaning against the door frame, his tanned arms were crossed over his broad chest making the muscles on his forearms flex evidently. For some reason, Cloud found he could not tear his gaze away. Taking in the now familiar face, the strong jawline, the somewhat sharp profile and the firm chin, the blond felt how his mind drifted back to the first time he had seen these features.

Leon had seemed like a rock. An untouchable, rejecting rock, sleek as a plate. Now, the English teacher did not seem so impossible to interact with and the blond actually found good company in the man. Shifting his gaze, the blond noticed the brunet's eyes were still fixed at him and even though he appeared stern, a somewhat gentle expression grazed his otherwise raw features. The diagonal scar that cut across his face made it look almost irregular, but despite its size, it wasn't the thing that drew attention about the man's face. No, that was definitely his eyes. Cloud had never seen such eyes before. The color consisted of different shades of gray, shades that seemed to swirl around the dark pupil, much like the eye of a storm. Cloud shuddered.

A storm.

Squall.

Even his name resembled stormy weather. Leon's being was indeed as turbulent and strong as the wind and much like his homonym, he was in constant change, always restless, never settling. Yet, the brunet was firmer than any cliff, and had the patience of a brick wall. Cloud had learned that Leon was the kind of person who never gave up. He wasn't a quitter, and never had been.

Still, there was something about him that the blond could only describe as vulnerableness. Something that became visible in his eyes. A short flicker of pain.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he took in the virile man before him, but now, the pain he'd seen occasionally was long gone, and the only thing evident in the brunet's clouded orbs were a friendly interest, and something else Cloud could not place entirely.

The blond felt an unfamiliar flutter in his stomach when their gazes locked, and slowly, he felt his palms grow sweaty. Leon seemed to notice his unease and raised a brow at him, making the other male swallow.

The reaction made Cloud feel slightly off track, and he had to struggle to compose himself.

Why did the brunet always make him feel uncomfortable when he looked into his eyes for too long? Cloud had an idea, but dared not to take his own mind there.

"So..." Leon's voice was deep. A perfect bass. "It's pretty astonishing, huh?"

Cloud, catching up right away, nodded slowly. "Yeah. I never thought of it. It did not even slip my mind."

Leon gave him a curious look. "Why not?"

The blond blinked. "Why not what?"

Leon shrugged a little, pushing himself off the wall and moved towards the other male. "Why did it not slip your mind?" He bent down and proceeded helping Cloud to take out the dishes and put them in the cupboard over the sink. "It couldn't have been such a surprise?"

Cloud, now trying to place a glass bowl on the upper shelf, not quite reaching it, cleared his throat. "No, no, it's not that, I—ah," he stood up tiptoes, but the bowl just balanced pitifully on the edge of the shelf. Why the hell did his mother keep things so high up?

Leon, now watching the struggling blond, could not suppress a smirk. "Here, let me take that."

He stepped up behind the blond, reached up and took the bowl from Cloud, gently placing it on the shelf. The blond felt his heart freeze and his breath hitched in his throat as Leon's torso was pressed firmly against his back. None of them moved, and Cloud barely dared to breathe. The warmth that radiated from the brunet made him the slightest bit dizzy, and the blond cursed inwardly at his body's reaction.

"So, then what is it Cloud?" The brunet murmured, still trapping him between the counter and himself. Slowly, his hands came up to stroke the blond's arms gently.

Cloud, now unable to stop the chills that ran down his spine, felt how his head slowly fell backwards, until it met with the brunet's cheek. Feeling how the other man's jaws clenched tightly, Cloud's eyes slipped closed as he inhaled the other's scent. After swallowing several times, the blond finally found his voice.

"I don't know. Maybe because I've never really thought about..." He trailed off.

Leon's hand continued their administrations. "About what Cloud?" He paused. "This?"

Biting his lip, the blond desperately tried to focus on giving birth to a coherent thought, but his mind just would not cooperate. All he could do was to nod timidly.

"Yes Leonheart," he sighed, "this."

* * *

**A/N:** -Wipes forehead- Puh... this was.. yeah... -laughs-

I hope you enjoyed it and I am sorry for my slow updates. Not so much action in this one, but I like the hushed atmosphere in the Leon/Cloud scene... I love that couple XD

But AkuRoku WILL be up and about very soon! -grins- Yes, AND YOU DEMYX!!

Dem: YAAAAAAAY!!

Na: Shut it...


	25. Chapter 25

**Warnings:** Yaoi -I'm so tired of writing this! Did I ever mention that? -grins-

**Disclaimer:** Not mine; F-A-N-F-I-C-T-I-O-N!!!

**A/N:** So this is the next chapter, and well, I am a bit sorry to announce that it will probably be one of the last. I'm planning on about three or four more chapters, but oh well, we'll see about it. Thank you guys for being such great reviewers! You make me smile, laugh and squeal like the idot I am, so THANK YOU! Please enjoy chapter 25!!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty Five_

_"Sleepovers"_

_-_

"Aha!" Demyx'd face held all the victory in the world, and his wide, watercolored eyes shone at Zexion. His hand was raised high in the air and with a growing panic, the lilac haired teen realized he was holding something akin to a notebook, waving it dramatically.

"Demyx! Give me that!" He gasped, reaching forward to get hold of what was indeed his _diary_. Zexion was a bit embarrassed about the fact that he even kept one, and the blond did not exactly help, waving it around like that.

How on earth had it found its way to Demyx? Zexion scowled.

_Sneaky little bastard._

"No way!" The blonde chirped happily and jumped off the other teen's bed, easily avoiding Zexion.

"Demyx! I swear to God, if you don't give it to—"

"You'll do what? Write something nasty about me?"

"You—"

"I didn't even know you believed in God Zexion." The blond musician gave a hysterical squeal as the red-faced, lilac haired teen he was currently trying to tease to death lounged forward, tumbled over the bed and caught him by the sleeve. Tugging the blond close, Zexion proceeded with whirling him around, twisting his arm behind his back. Then, he yanked the black, worn out notebook out of the blond's grasp.

"Finally!" Zexion tucked the journal to his chest, much like a baby, and glared heatedly at Demyx.

"You little thief!"

Said 'thief' just pouted. "Zexyyy! Don't you trust me?"

The lilac haired teen narrowed his eyes dangerously at the blond. "Trust you? You just stole my journal!"

Demyx gave a little shrug. "Yeah, I did, but it's not like I tried to read it?"

Still clutching the book to his chest, Zexion rolled his eyes. "Oh no, I forgot. How very nice of you Demyx!"

The musician, now pouting again, settled himself on Zexion's bed. For a moment he just sat there watching the lilac haired teen. Then, his eyes shifted and suddenly, Zexion found himself gazing into the biggest puppy-dog eyes he had ever seen. Demyx's gigantic blue orbs seemed as if they were about to pop right out of his skull and Zexion was sure had it not been for the fact that the blond did not have a tale, he would have stuck it between his legs. The musicians looked downright miserable and the lilac haired teen had to fight the urge to laugh.

"I'm sorry Zexy..." Demyx's voice was timid. To the point where Zexion actually raised a brow.

"I never really meant to read it either," he gave a sheepish smile and his eyes fell to the floor, "although, it would have been fun to know your inner thoughts and stuff."

Looking at the blond teen he had come to care for so much, the lilac haired teen felt his gaze soften and the warm feeling that always made itself known when he thought about the musician started to spread all over his body.

Walking over to the bed, he gently lay a hand on Demyx's shoulder.

As the blond tilted his head to look at him, Zexion proceeded cupping his cheek.

"You know..." he cleared his throat a little, "if you want so badly to know what's on my mind... Take a look in the mirror."

* * *

Axel slid his finger along the stairs railway, noticing how the small grains of dust attached to the pale flesh. Whistling a happy tune between his teeth, he nodded his head enthusiastically, causing flaming locks to fall into his eyes. Roxas was upstairs preparing a sleeping place for him. They had decided that it would be best if Axel spent the night, something the red head really did not mind. He wondered whether he was going to sleep in Roxas' room or if there was a guest room somewhere in the house that he had not seen. He could probably sleep in Sora's bed too, but Axel did not think that was going to happen. It just... did not feel right at the moment. 

He actually felt a bit nervous about this. Not that he would ever admit it, but the red head had never spent the night with someone he liked this much. Someone he cared this much for.

Axel chuckled inwardly.

Roxas... his cute little blond...

What would have happened if he hadn't met the kid? Surely, he would have been the same person, but there was just something... Something about the blond that made Axel feel whole. As if Roxas was some kind of missing peace. Laughing softly to himself the red head realized what lane he was driving down. This was so unlike him. He never used to act like this before the blond had, literally, bumped into his life. He had always been an emotionless bastard with the flare for the dramatics and he never really thought himself to be the kind of person who could fall in love...

Axel furrowed his brows, a slightly confused expression appearing in his face.

_Love? _

The red head's lips parted slowly, and his tongue darted out to play in one of the corner of his mouth.

_Had he fallen in love? _

He felt a very unfamiliar feeling in his chest. Some sort of quiver. Like a butterfly timidly flutters its wings in there.

_He?_

Knitting his brows harder he bit down on his lower lip.

_Axel?_

"Axel!"

The red head spun around to locate the one that was almost shouting his name.

Roxas was standing atop of the stairwell and hesitantly made his way down the steps.

A curious was look evident on his face. "You were spacing out?"

The older teen just grinned. "Nah, it was nothing. Just me being brain dead as usual."

Roxas actually giggled at that. Then, his face muscles shifted and he suddenly looked tense.

"So... I've prepared the madras for you, and... uhm... I changed the sheets. I could only find one pillow, but I bet Sora's got plenty, so if you want it I can go and get some from his room, or I could jus—"

"Roxas!" Axel's amused voice put a stop to the blond's rambling, "It's okay. I don't really need more than one pillow. First of all, my neck tends to become stiff if I sleep with my head too high and second, all I need to have a wonderful night, is you." The red head grinned mischievously at the blush that exploded in the smaller teen's cheeks at those words. Roxas looked as if he had just dipped his face in a bucket of ketchup.

"Relax Sunshine, not like that." He could literally see how Roxas' face color went back to normal. Deciding he wanted to have a little fun with the blond, Axel smirked and leaned close enough to whisper in the other's ear;

"But if you want it so badly I'm sure we could—" he did not manage to finish the sentence, as a small, but firm fist hit him square in the head. Blinking in surprise at the younger boy, the red head rubbed his now sore scalp. "Hey! What was that for?!"

Roxas, who was currently smiling all but evilly, suddenly turned very serious. Regarding the red head solemnly he gave a little shrug as if to give an impression of nonchalance, although it was evident that he cared, judging by the deep shade of purple that now covered his face.

"Oh, just because you were being your usual brain dead self."

Axel laughed. "Just shut up Roxas."

To his surprise, the Roxas did just that.

Reaching up to brush away a few strains of fire from the older teen's face, the blond gave a soft sigh. Pursing his lips in hesitance he took a deep breath through his nose before fixing the red head with an intense stare. Axel felt his throat go a little dry at the look in those bright blue eyes. He had never seen Roxas wear an expression that serious, not to mention thorn. The blond appeared as if he was about to preform a surgical intervention. With a saw.

Swallowing, Axel lifted a hand to cup the smaller boy's cheek.

He wet his lips before speaking. "Sunshine?"

Roxas cringed at the mention of his name and Axel furrowed his brows. He was about to ask one more time, but before he had the chance to say something, the blond silenced him by pulling his head down, laying his cheek against the older teen's. Feeling how warm breath caressed his face, the red head felt his own pulse speed up and the small hands that clutched his shoulders sent vibrations through his body. "Roxas?" His voice sounded strangely unfamiliar and he noticed how it hitched when pronouncing the younger boy's name.

After what seemed like an eternity, the blond finally stepped a few inches away from him and found Axel's eyes.

"If..." he paused, obviously working up his courage, "if you want to..." he trailed off again.

Axel raised a brow and waited. The blond looked almost if he was about to throw up and by now his hands, still groping the red head's shoulders, trembled uncontrollably. Taking a deep breath, gaining some control, Roxas opened his mouth to speak again. "If you want to... youcansleepinmybed."

Axel quirked a brow and shook his head. "Sorry Sunshine, didn't really catch you there."

Scowling in embarrassment, the blond let go of Axel's shoulders, turned away and clenched his fists. "I'm sorry... I—"

"Stop it." Axel's voice made him turn rapidly.

The red head was watching him with a sinister look, a look that made him appear sightly out of character. Reaching out, he touched Roxas' neck, fingers sliding around it, slowly tugging him closer. "You know..." his tone was soft, "if you want me," he fell silent for a moment, gently stroking the blond's collarbone, "to sleep in your bed," Roxas felt his heart begin to pound like crazy, "all you have to do is tell me..."

* * *

"You actually did that?" Cloud's voice was amused and his eyes shone like two bright pools of water. Leon gave a faint smile, making him appear slightly out of character. Brushing his hair back with one hand he nodded. "Yeah, I guess I did." 

Cloud shook his head in amazement. "OK, let me get this straight; You, Squall Leonh— er, I mean Leon, robbed a jewelery-store? For some girl you hardly knew?"

Leon shrugged. "I would not call it robbing. I just sort of borrowed the ring. And besides, she was really nice."

Cloud narrowed his eyes a little and grinned. "Don't you mean bad? Not to mention manipulative?"

The brunet gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, probably. Anyways, I was just a kid."

The blond at his side rose a brow. "Oh. I presume that justifies it all."

Laughing, the stoic teacher poked the lither man in the ribs. "Just shut up Cloud." He bit his lower lip, clearly thinking about something.

The two of them was walking down the shadowy streets, heading for Leon's apartment. They had said goodnight to Axel and Roxas, and seeing as it was school tomorrow, both Leon and Cloud agreed that it would be best if they were in bed early. However, they had nor been able to leave their conversation at the door, so Cloud had decided to walk the brunet home. The night was on its way, and the sky was now fully showered with stars. A soft, orange glow came from the windows of the surrounding houses and mixed with the greenish light from the street lamps it gave the surroundings an almost ethereal look.

Glancing quickly over at Cloud, Leon thought about how strange the blond appeared sometimes. Cloud would seem both fragile and strong at the same time, and there was always an aura of mystique around him. Leon knew he was probably quite the mystery himself, but with Cloud it was different. Leon found himself wondering what exactly hid behind those clear sapphires and he suddenly realized he would have done anything just to have a seconds look into the depths of the other man's soul. He was sure that what ever the blond concealed in there, it had to be something extraordinary. Just like Cloud himself.

Extraordinary.

"What's her name?" Leon's head shot up at the question. For a moment he did not understand what the blond was talking about and shot him a curious look.

"The girl who turned you into a thief."

"Rinoa." The way he pronounced her name made Cloud furrow his brown slightly. He actually sounded sad. Cloud watched as his companion's face resolved into a somewhat dreamy expression, stormy eyes slipping faintly out of focus.

"Rinoa, huh? She must have been quite the personality. Being able to talk you into something like that I mean."

At this, the brunet smirked. For a couple of seconds his eyes lit up and an almost mischievous glint appeared in the gray depths. "Yeah," he paused, "yeah she was. She always made me do things like that."

Cloud raised a brow. "She made you steal often?"

Leon chuckled. "No, that only happened once. What I meant is, she had this... this influence over me. Made me act more or less on impulse. She used to tell me to lighten up all the time and made it her own task to make me become more social." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "And well, I guess one could say she really put a lot of effort into that mission."

The blond, now genuinely interested tilted his head to the side. "You stayed friends with her? After she made you 'borrow' that ring?"

Leon nodded. "Yes. She came to my house the next day, apologizing for the trouble she'd put me through. Apparently she had felt guilty for nearly having me arrested. I would have been you know, had it not been for the fact that I still had one month to go before I turned sixteen." He shook his head. "Anyway, at fist I was suspicious, but after listening to her rambling abut how sorry she was for over an hour..."

"You gave in and forgave her." Cloud smiled. "Didn't know you were such a softie Leonheart."

The brunet cringed at the word 'softie'. "Believe me, you would have done the same thing. Rinoa, as I found out later, was very good at getting what she wanted." Drifting back in time, Leon remembered how those deep brown eyes used to shimmer with tomfoolery and cheerfulness. How he had not been able to resist tor ignore them.

"She had her own way of worming herself under your skin and once you'd let her in, she simply would not come out."

Catching Cloud's interested stare, the brunet continued. "We kind of became inseparable, or she wouldn't leave me alone. At all. She dragged me around like a rag doll and constantly bugged me with her new ideas of how to achieve her goal. Turning me into a social being that was." Suddenly a frown appeared in his face. "One time she actually made me sing. In a karaoke bar."

Cloud started to laugh.

Leon just rolled his eyes. "I made her pay for that though. She hated me for weeks."

"What did you do?"

Smirking all but evilly, the brunet trapped his gaze. "I refused to help her with her English."

Now, it was Cloud's time to roll his eyes. "You call that a revenge?"

Shrugging, Leon looked up at the star-covered sky. "Yes. She really sucked."

They both started laughing.

"Wow," the blond wiped his eyes, "I would really like to meet this Rinoa."

At this, the brunet's laughter died out. "You can't," he stared at nothing in particular.

"Rinoa's dead."

Cloud did not know what to say. Leon's face had turned into that icy rock again, clearly telling Cloud he did not want to talk about it. Therefore, the blond just placed a hand on the bunet's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry."

They walked in silence the rest of the way and when they at last reached Leon's driveway they both stopped to look at each other at the same time.

After a moment of silence, Leon lifted his hand hesitantly and brushed away golden strains from the other's face making Cloud shiver as the calloused hand ran softly through his blond spikes.

The touch was too gentle to be associated with someone with such a harsh appearance as Leon and Cloud found himself closing his eyes in delight. The caress of the older males hand made him lose his gloomy self completely and a faint sigh escaped his lips when that exact hand rubbed small circles on the top of his head. He felt like purring, and he was sure that if he had been capable of doing so, he'd not hesitated for a moment.

His eyes eventually opened and met with stormy ones, only inches away from his own. It seemed the brunet had moved closer without him taking notice of it. Not that Cloud really minded. He was completely entranced with those eyes and whatever he did, it was not possible to tare his gaze away. Squall Leonheart was the most fascinating man he had ever encountered in his life.

"Time to say goodnight Cloud."

The blond nodded slowly. "Yeah." And with that he took hold of Leon's hand and squeezed it firmly, never braking eye contact with the other.

"Goodnight Squall."

* * *

**A/N:** I like how this is turning out. -grins sheepishly- There will probably be some more... uhm.. yaoi'sh stuff, it you guys don't mind? -grins even more sheepishly- 

Demyx: Will there be some-

Na: Nope.

Demyx: You don't even kno-

Na: Yep.

Demyx: But I-

Na: AND CUT!


	26. Chapter 26

**Warnings:** Yaoi. Please note that this chapter will be **rated** **M** for safety. Sexual situations ensues.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**A/N:** So, here we are... Chapter 26 of Shifting Roads! YAY!

I am so extremely amazed with you guys! You're the best reviewers ever!

Okay... So this chapter is a tad bit longer than the previous ones, and it has gotten, uhm... some scenes that I found pretty hard to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and that my writing in this one won't scare you away!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty Six_

_"Didn't I Tell You About Those Couches?"_

_-_

Roxas was nervous. As a matter of fact, he was extremely nervous.

Actually, it was fair to say that he had never been this nervous in his life. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, legs constantly trying to give away and his eye kept twitching.

The blond groaned silently to himself as he splashed cold water in his face, icy droplets sliding down his neck, teasing the bare skin there. Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed the sharp, red tinge that grazed his cheek. He really did look like a wreck. Ever since Axel and he had decided that the red head was going to sleep in his bed, his body had kept betraying him with various, embarrassing reactions. It had only been about half an hour since the two of them had made the fateful decision and Roxas had already felt on the verge of throwing up at least ten times. The, by now familiar butterflies in his gut stirred uncontrollably and his face seemed to flush each fifth minute.

Except from Hayner, Roxas had never even had a friend over at night- Riku did not count seeing as he practically lived with them and was there undoubtedly because of Sora. Besides, Hayner was a heavy sleeper, who just fell onto the bed and slept. Roxas did not figure Axel out to be that kind of person and Hayner had never slept in _his_ bed after all. This was what disturbed Roxas the most. The fact that the red head was going to spend the night in his house wasn't even close to having him spend it in his bed.

Therefore, the blond was very anxious about this. Not only was he going to have a sleepover, but his guest, a male he was not only helplessly attracted to, but also cared deeply about was going to lie right beside him in a bed he was used to share only with himself.

Roxas gulped as he dried his face off with a towel and ruffled his spikes, all the while watching himself cautiously in the mirror. At least he looked better than Sora. Thinking about his twin caused him to pout slightly and furrowing his brows, Roxas remembered the day's events.

He could not entirely get over the fact that Riku, Sora's best friend had actually confessed his feelings for Sora today. It all seemed so unreal. Not only had his twin seemed to accept it, he had even admitted that he felt the same way about the silver haired teen and that he wanted them to be together.

Roxas had been completely taken aback. It was not the confession itself that had surprised him. He, just like his mother, had known that something was going on between the two boys, but it was the idea of Riku and Sora being something else than best friends that gave him the creeps. They had been unrealistically close for years and the blond had always used to think that a friendship like theirs could never be destroyed or change. Apparently, he had been wrong about that. It most certainly had not been destroyed, but both boys feelings had grown into something much bigger and deeper than even the strongest friendship could ever hold. Love.

Biting his lip, Roxas thought about the term love. It was such a common thing and yet so strange, so far away. He himself had never experienced it, or had he? Shaking his head slightly, the blond continued to wonder. He could not keep himself from remembering his own thoughts at the parking lot earlier that day. He had, without doubt, made a connection between the word and a certain red head, but that did not have to mean that he loved Axel? Did it?

_Gah! Why does it have to be so damn complicated?!_

Clearing his throat and ridding himself of such thoughts, the blond finally stepped outside the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Feeling how his legs shook, he made it downstairs. When he sauntered into the living room, he was surprised to find Axel half asleep on the couch. The red heads mouth hung slightly open and his head had lolled to the side, causing flaming, wild hair to rest softly against his high cheekbones. Clearly, Roxas had been wrong thinking Axel wasn't the type to fall asleep easily.

Seeing Axel like this was new to the blond. Despite his outgoing behavior, the red head hardly ever let his guard down and he always seemed to be in control of the situation. Now, he looked strangely young and innocent and the two tear shaped tattoos underneath his eyes seemed oddly out of place. Smirking, the blond moved carefully towards the sleeping beauty on the couch and very slowly, he climbed up beside the red head and scooted close, until his arms were securely wrapped around Axel's resting form.

"Hey there..." Emerald eyes fluttered open and a lanky hand found his.

Roxas smiled softly against the older teens cheek and placed a soft kiss on the pale skin he found there. "Hey..." Shifting a little, so that his torso was pressed against Axel's back, Roxas let his free hand run through those fiery locks. "You're sleepy?"

Axel chuckled a little. "Not anymore." Feeling the blush ascend in his cheeks, the blond bit his lip. Sliding his hand out of Axel's hair he rested his head against the red heads shoulder.

"That's good."

Feeling Axel's mouth tug upwards, Roxas buried his face in the soft fabric of his shirt.

Gently gripping the other's hand tighter, the blond inhaled his musky scent and not knowing exactly what came over him, Roxas touched Axel's neck with his lips. Feeling how the red head tensed at the gesture, the blond swallowed hesitantly. Was he doing something he shouldn't?

As the courage slithered out of him he began to draw back, but before he could do such a thing, a firm hand tugged him closer. "Don't."

Twisting so that they were facing each other, Axel slid his hand up Roxas' chest and ended up stroking his collarbone and as Roxas' breath hitched in his throat, the red head leaned in and captured his lips.

The room began to spin.

The kiss was more passionate than any kiss they had ever shared and Roxas soon found himself completely overtaken by it. His eyes fluttered shut and grabbing the red head's shoulders, the blond pressed himself up against his body. Moaning quietly, Axel's right hand traveled down his chest again and to Roxas utter surprise it ended up gliding underneath his shirt. Yelping a little, the blond felt sparks go off in his head and battalions of heat travel down his spine. This was something new entirely. Axel's hand roamed carefully over his stomach and not breaking the kiss, he leaned closer, only to put more pressure behind the touch. As those skilled fingers ran across his bare skin, Roxas opened his mouth further and engaged their tongues in a heated battle for dominance. This newfound need for action took the blond by quite a big amount of surprise, but he was determined not break it off. Heat had already begun to pool in his belly and writhing, Roxas realized that

other parts of his anatomy was also responding to the red heads administrations. Moaning into the kiss, Roxas let his own hands slide down Axel's back, and suddenly he found them playing with the hem of his shirt.

_Wait what?_

Faltering for a moment, the blond broke the kiss and gasped for air.

_What was going on?_

Roxas suddenly felt strangely lost. He had no clue what was to happen next, and quite frankly, that scared him. This was completely unfamiliar to him and the way Axel's hands touched him called forth reactions he had never before experienced. The blond took a shaky breath and lifted his head.

Their eyes met and in a flash, all the hesitation disappeared from his mind. Looking into the red heads eyes lit his body on fire. The look in those shimmering, catlike emeralds was one of utter need, and the blond could see how a desperate wish to take things further danced within their depths. A wish that instantly became his own.

Without realizing exactly what he was doing, the blond grabbed Axel's neck and forced their lips together once more. Exploring the wet cavern of Axel's mouth, he found himself rubbing up against the red head, eliciting muffled gasps from the older boy. Completely lost in sensations, he nibbled carefully at Axel's lower lip, all the while clutching the other fiery locks. The heat was almost unbearable.

Warmth seemed to radiate from the red head and suddenly, Roxas found himself pinned to the couch with a very lustful Axel over him. Panting, the blond lifted his hips, only to moan loudly when their groins met. Wide eyed, he noticed Axel was just as aroused as he was, and before he could comprehend fully what had happened, the red head was grinding their hips together. Roxas' head rolled back and a hushed scream tore it's way from his throat. Axel kept moving and when the red head bent down to suck and nibble at his throat, the blond was sure he was going to—

"Roxas, Axel! I'm back!"

_Shit!

* * *

_

"Sora?" The brunet rolled over in the hospital bed. Groaning a little he realized he was now in a position to move, even though his arm was fully covered with gypsum. This was a very pleasing fact, seeing as he had been lying in the same position all night, undoubtedly to shield his arm from any further damage. His pillow smelled of flower scented soap and the sheets were warm and comfy.

Not wanting to wake up entirely, Sora buried his head in the soft material shutting his eyes tightly. Just as he was about to fall asleep again, his name was spoken once more and this time, the brunet was not able to ignore it. Squinting through the dim light, he recognized a familair silhouette in the doorway.

"Riku?"

"Good morning," Riku's usually smug voice held a bit of hesitance, "want me to turn on the lights?" Hearing the hint of nervousness in his best friend's voice, Sora made a small smile and nodded. The silver haired teen moved to touch the switch and Sora blinked as the lights flickered on. Holding his healthy hand above his eyes in a very boy-scout'ish manner, he regarded the older teen.

"What time is it?"

Riku glanced quickly at his watch. "Ten." Looking up at Sora, he knitted his brows and cleared his throat hastily. "Sorry for showing up this early. I..." The look in his face made Sora feel slightly uneasy and the way the silver haired teen bit his lip anxiously told him that Riku felt the same way. Seeing his best friend all secluded and jumpy made his insides twist almost painfully. Riku never used to be like that.

Of course, the fact that he had just told Sora that he was in love with him had to have something to say in the matter, but anyhow, the brunet really wished Riku would go back to acting normal.

"I just wanted to see you."

The brunet nodded faintly. They hadn't gotten the chance to talk about what had happened last night, seeing as Mrs. Kitamura had been with them all the time. Glancing over at the empty bed beside him, Sora concluded that his mother had probably gone off to get something to eat. The thought of food made his stomach growl and Riku raised en eyebrow.

"Heh... Haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch." The goofy smile he out up was enough to make Riku's lip tug upwards.

Finally, Sora thought, the smirk was back in place and the silver haired teen seemed to be somewhat reunited with his old self again.

-

Riku had skipped school. Sora was not happy about it, but the spiky haired teen knew he would not have been able to talk his best friend out of it, no matter what. Not that he minded having Riku there with him. Actually, he was very pleased with the fact that the older boy would take time to visit him. The only thing that kind of killed the mood was the heavy tension that hung in the air. A tension that could no longer be ignored. The two of them had been chatting about nothing in particular for over half an hour now and the unspoken words was slowly driving Sora insane. Therefore, after several attempts, he finally gathered all of his courage and asked the question he had been longing to ask ever since he was confronted with the truth over twelve hours earlier.

"Riku?" The silver haired teen cringed a little at the tone in his voice and Sora understood he knew what was coming. None the less, he refused to stop now.

"How... uhm... how did you come to terms with... erm... your feelings...?" He knew it was still a sore subject and that the question was a hard one, but he really felt like he had to know. Riku had just told him that he loved him, and Sora had no idea of what to make out of it. The moment the silver haired teen had spilled those words, the brunet's world had turned upside down and his mind had sut down completely. It was not hard for him to recall the feeling of utter shock he had been a victim of at that time. He had never felt so flabbergasted in his life.

None the less, he had been the one to kiss Riku. Feeling his ears turn red, the brunet bit his tongue and tried to push away the memory of Riku's soft lips against his. The sensation had been entirely new to him. He had never kissed someone before, not even Kairi, whom had offered him to try several times when they were kids, and therefore, Sora was completely stunned by the fact that he had actually made out with the silver haired teen. The blush that crept it's way to his cheeks made Riku quirk an eyebrow and Sora cursed the older teen fore being so good at reading him. Then, he remembered his earlier question and gave the silver haired teen a pointed look.

"Riku... How did you understand that you... like me?"

Meeting his eyes, Riku shrugged a little and moved to sit by Sora's bed.

"Well," he started, lifting his hands, folding them firmly upon the sheets. The fraught look in his turquoise orbs was impossible to ignore.

"I didn't." Sora furrowed his brows, but stayed quiet as Riku's hands started to fumble nervously with the sheets in a way Sora found just a tad bit amusing. After a few seconds of silence he continued, "I mean, I never actually thought about it before I said it out loud. There were simply too many things happening at once and I never got the chance to fully comprehend what I was feeling. I knew I was completely thorn by the fact that you were here and that you were hurt, but other than that I didn't know much. Only that I had to see you." He paused a little, still fiddling with the soft canvas. His eyes descended to the floor.

"When I got in here..." the words were apparently hard to get out, "something sort of cracked inside of me..." By now, Sora could see tears glistening in his best friends eyes and he suddenly felt an overwhelming need to hug him. Yet, he stayed quietly in place and just listened.

"I just— I could not stand seeing you like that. Hurt and chained to the bed. I felt like all the sorrows in the world were put upon my shoulders and it was all because of you. Because of my feelings towards you."

Sora could not help but smile and even though his pulse was speeding up by the minute, he managed to hold his composure. "You mean because you love me?"

The brunet could literally see the older teen's skin catch fire. For a moment, he regretted asking such a blunt question and he was about to take it back when Riku looked up. As their eyes met, the younger teen felt how his stomach began to stir violently. Inhaling deeply, the silver haired teen nodded. "Yes. Because I love you Sora."

The brunet did not know how to reply. His mind felt strangely hazy and it was like someone had covered his thoughts with a woolen carpet. Hesitantly, he held his hand out, silently asking the other boy to take it. When Riku noticed the outstretched limb, his face softened. Without faltering, he took the invitation and grabbed Sora's hand. The smaller fist fitted so perfectly in his own and feeling how warmth spread in his chest, the silver haired teen gave it a faint squeeze.

"You do realize this will complicate things between us, right?"

Offering his best friend a faint smile, the brunet squeezed back.

"I know."

"What are we going to do about it? Or more importantly, what do all of this mean to you?" He didn't wait for a reply. "How do you feel about me Sora?"

"Well," now it was Sora's turn to blush, "I guess I kinda figured that you meant a whole lot more to me than a best friend should..." he trailed off, face now so flushed Riku was sure he could fry eggs upon it.

They sat in silence for some time. After a while, Sora, still beet red, lifted his head and regarded him with a coy expression.

"I think I might..." Gazing into Sora's big, azure orbs, Riku felt his heart flutter. Was it possible that Sora was about to say what he thought he was going to say?

"I think I might..."

"Love me too?" The hopeful tone in his voice was clear as daylight.

Sora bit his lip. Then, he nodded. "Yes."

* * *

**A/N:** -Blushes madly-

So, there it is. Please tell me what you think! I am really anxious about writing 'smut' (I don't like the word) so I hope it wasn't too bad. Love to all of you and I just want to point out one more time how extremey happy your reviews make me!! -beams-

Demyx is currently mad at me, so I don't think he's got anything to say today. -smirks- What a pity.


	27. Chapter 27

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine

**A/N:** Please enjoy this!! Chapter 27 that is!! -Pats herself on the back- I'm so happy I actually decided to write this! And you are all so awsome!!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty Seven_

_"Love Comes in Colors"_

_-_

Roxas was sure his eye had never twitched as much or as violently as it did now. His face constantly heated up and his hands kept wandering in hurried, swift motions over along the table cloth. Sweat was formally poring from his forehead and his mouth was completely dry. Clearing his throat, he cast a swift glance at his older brother.

Cloud, now seated right above him, had his hands folded on the table and he was leaning slightly towards the shuddering blond.

They were sitting in Mrs. Kitmura's cozy, sunlit kitchen, and the old, wooden clock on the wall had just chimed seven times, informing them it was about time to get ready for breakfast. Axel was currently in the shower and Roxas and Cloud had set the table together. Now, when they were finished and had ran out of things to do, Roxas knew what was coming. Big-brother's-watching-you-talk.

He had been avoiding his brother for the entire morning because of this, silently hoping he would just let it all be, but knowing Cloud that was not going to happen.

Ever since the previous night, Roxas had tried desperately to come up with a decent explanation as to why his older brother had walked in on hims and Axel, tangled on the couch, flushed and out of breath, but none of the ideas he came up with was the slightest bit waterproof. Cloud was not an idiot and Roxas knew it. Therefore he braced himself for whatever was coming his way and hoped he would make it though, still being capable of looking his brother in the eyes.

Axel and him had shared the bed for the night, but nothing had happened, seeing as Roxas was too embarrassed to actually do something other than giving the red head a small peck on the cheek before drifting off to sleep. Regardless of that, he had woken up with Axel's arms wrapped securely around him and the read head's warm, steady breathing against his neck. Yawning, he had snuggled closer to the older teen for some time and just enjoyed the warmth radiating from his body as he felt how sleep slowly released him from its grip.

After he had eventually gotten up and taken a shower, he had awakened the sleeping red head with a soft kiss and told him to come down for breakfast when he was done in the bathroom. That was how he had gotten himself in the situation he was now in.

Roxas squirmed under Cloud's piercing gaze. Why did his brother have to put him in this kind of situation? Feeling how his heart sank in his chest, he bit his lip. No one said anything and the sun rays that floated through the kitchen window and played with his older brother's hair was really beginning to annoy the blond. There was nothing idyllic about this.

"So, are you guys like... together?" Cloud's voice was monotone, as if he really did not care about the answer. Truth to be told, he probably should not anyway, seeing as it was pretty obvious. He had after all just caught them red handed on the couch.

Roxas did not know what to answer. How could he possibly tell Cloud that he was in a relationship with another guy? Surely, Cloud would understand, he had not reacted with anything but surprise when they had told him about Riku and Sora, but they were in genre of their own. They had practically breathed each other's air for over a decade and taking their relationship further was not such a big jump. He, however, had barely just met Axel and they were already going out.

Glancing at Cloud, he fumbled with his fork. After several awkward moments of silence, he finally decided that it would do more damage not to speak, than it would do if he spoke. Besides, Axel had to come down sooner or later, and the blond would avoid him overhearing this at all costs.

He hemmed. "Yes." There was nothing more to say really.

Cloud regarded him for a moment. Then, he sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Roxas raised a brow. "Okay?"

"Okay." His brother did not deepen it, but Roxas wasn't ready to let it go just yet. Cloud had brought it up for a reason and Roxas wanted to know why.

"You mean you're okay with it? Just like that?"

The older blond shrugged. "Yes." He took a sip of coffee before continuing. "You really like him don't you?" He stated more than asked.

"Well obviously—"

"Then there's nothing more to it, is it? Roxas, I want you to be happy and if this is what makes you happy then I will support you no matter what."

"Although..." Roxas thought he knew what was next. "I would strongly recommend you to take those kinds of activities -he made a faint nod against the living room- upstairs or in a far more private place."

Roxas could swear he had never blushed so hard in his life.

* * *

"So, have you finished the paper we were supposed to bring for today's class?" Naminé's soft voice sounded from his left. Glancing over at her, he gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. "Well... No." Watching her raise a brow, Roxas felt a faint blush ascending in his cheeks. "I... uh... was busy." 

The blonde girl nodded slowly and for a split second, Roxas was sure he saw the flash of a smirk on her pale lips. The moment he blinked, however, it was gone, and he concluded with the fact that it had all been an illusion. Naminé did not smirk.

"What were you doing then?" Clearly, the girl was not letting him out of this one. Roxas scowled a little and decided to keep her from seeing Kairi too often. Clearly, the auburn haired girl's blunt personality was beginning to rub off on the petite blonde. What a shame. Naminé used to be such a loving, innocent girl. Blushing strongly, Roxas sent her a somewhat embarrassed grin. "Axel."

This time, he really _saw _a smirk. Damn that Kairi!

"I thought so..." She looked as if she was about to say something more, but she never had the chance as they were abruptly interrupted by the bell.

"Oh," she checked her watch and put up a slightly horrified expression. "I am supposed to be in the lab now!"

Roxas could not refrain from chuckling. "Then get going!" He jokingly swatted her off. She turned, waved at him and was about to leave when she suddenly whirled around once more and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!" In one flurried motion, she shrugged off her back packet and made Roxas hold it for her.

"I've got something for you!" she chirped, stars evident in her big, blue eyes.

One of her arms dived into the bag and came up seconds later with a slightly crumpled paper. It looked as if it had been lying there for quite some time. Beaming, she handed him the sheet, grabbed her baggage and ran off yelling "hope you like it!"

Roxas, bearing a slightly befuddled expression, watched her as the ran down the corridor, her blonde locks bouncing from side to side. Shaking his head a little, he turned his attention to the paper in his hand.

_What is this? _

Curiously straightening it, he turned the sheet around to have a look and when he did, a warm, genuine smile appeared in his face.

Soft, curvy lines made with obvious caring strokes, bright hues and shimmering ink. It first, appeared to suggest nothing but a flurry of flames and pink, but as he watched it, the colorful expression resolved a little, and the actual motive became clear. It showed a beautiful landscape, drowned in the magical colors of the setting sun. Two people he recognized at once were standing close together, apparently watching the sun go down. One was tall and lanky with wild, unruly hair bearing the color of the sun. The other one smaller, more compact and with spiky tresses like his own.

The blond felt his heart flutter.

Him and Axel. They were holding hands and their silhouettes seemed to be glowing. The place where their hands met was the picture's middle and around their intertwined fingers, there was some sort of aura, a light that caught one's attention at once.

Feeling how his chest swelled, the blond read the small words that were scribbled at the bottom of the page in a curly, feminine handwrite; _Love comes in colors._

This could only be Naminé's own doing. Roxas did not know a soul who drew like her. She was the best artist he had ever met. This piece of art was probably the most expressive picture he had seen in his life. It seemed to live on its own, and the blond felt overwhelmed by all the emotions that were trapped in it. Beaming, he tucked the drawing carefully in his bag. This was a treasure he would keep safe no matter what.

As he wandered off to History, he had forgotten all about the paper they were supposed to have written and all his thoughts were about a certain red head and the strong, growing feelings he harbored for him.

* * *

"Sora!" Kairi's voice was so loud, the brunet was sure his tympanum was going to burst. Holding his pone at least two feet away from his ear, he rolled his eyes at the silver haired teen sitting on the edge of his bed, mutely mouthing the girls name. Riku sniggered. He knew their best friend. She could be pretty goddamn loud sometimes, and now was definitely one of those times. 

"Yes Kairi," he smiled, "Riku is here and we are both alright." Chuckling, he sent the silver haired teen a smirk, "no, he did not commit suicide." Riku's brows rose high in the air and he opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a firm elbow that was placed abruptly in his ribs, making him choke. Sora gave him a wry look before turning his attention back to Kairi. After listening to her for a moment, a big, bright grin appeared in his face.

"Yep, he really does." Frowning, the silver haired teen realized they were talking about him and leaned forward to catch the auburn haired girl's words. He was, however, mercilessly pushed away when Sora noticed him and a small pout, very much out of character formed on his lips. Eyes, gleaming with mischief, the spiky haired brunet gave him a apologetic pat on the back.

"Oh yes, he's pouting."

-

"So, how do you think she'll take it?" Sora popped the question they both knew they had to consider sooner or later. Kairi was their best friend and the one they were both most anxious about explaining their newfound relationship. At the same time, they both believed the auburn haired girl was the one who'd understand them best. _If_, she got over the shock that was.

Riku shrugged. "Dunno."

"We have to tell her Ri."

The silver haired teen caught his hand. "I know."

Sora bit his lip thoughtfully. "You know. I always thought we'd end up moving into this big mansion, all three of us." He continued to bite his lip.

" And Roxas maybe. If he didn't get married and had a lot of children. I always pictured him a family-guy." His eyes met Riku's and the older boy noticed they were now filled with tomfoolery. "However, it seems that theory has to be reconsidered now."

"Yes," was Riku's dry reply, "can you imagine Axel being a father? Cause that was what you meant right?"

They both laughed at that and when their laughter ebbed out, a comfortable moment of silence went by.

Suddenly smirking, Riku gave his hand a faint squeeze, "So, you've fantasized about living with me and Kairi?" he paused as the smirk grew, "how could you do that? I mean, jeez Sora, that's just harsh!"

Upon seeing the confused look is his best friend's face, the silver haired teen grinned. "That means I would have been stuck with you for the rest of my life!"

Sora whined. "RIKU!"

He launched out to slap the silver haired teen's arm, but his hand was caught mid air and held tightly by his best friend. A staring contest followed.

After several seconds of complete willpower-exchange, they suddenly found themselves leaning closer to each other. Sora had been totally unaware of this and it wasn't before they were almost hugging he realized just how close they were. Riku's aqua orbs glowed with anticipation and Sora was sure he saw a flicker of hope in the older teen's eyes.

"May I?"

Sora felt his heart flutter violently and his stomach twisted almost painfully upon seeing those soft lips only millimeters from his own. The need for contact was overwhelming, and small jolts of predicament ran down his spine. He realized that he wanted Riku to kiss him oh so badly. That the only thing he wanted was to feel those lips against his once again. Nodding slowly, he locked gazed with the older teen. "Please."

The kiss was hesitant at first, but as they slowly explored each other's lips, both males felt an urge to deepen it. Sora nearly fainted when Rikus' tongue slipped inside his mouth and he could hear Riku gasp softly as their tongue engaged in battle. Sora's uninjured hand shot up and tangled in the other's hair. The silver haired teen was soon to pick up, and in moments, he had his body pressed flushed against the younger boy. Sora moaned softly at the contact and he fisted Riku's silver tresses firmer. The sound practically drew Riku mad and clutching Sora's shirt he felt how his whole world had shrunken, only containing the younger boy. He loved Sora. Truly, madly, deeply. Call it a cliché, Riku could not care less. All he cared about was the boy in his arms. His best friend. His soulmate. His light.

When they pulled away, Sora had to inhale deeply to support his oxygen supply. When he had gained a reasonable amount of control, his eyes fell on the boy he had just kissed.

Riku eyes were glued to the floor. A somewhat coy expression evident in his face. Sora almost giggled at the unfamiliar sight, but when his best friends expression changed into one of despair, he fell serious immediately. Riku's jaws were now clenched tightly and his hands balled fists in his lap. His breathing came in small, irregular puffs. Sora furrowed his brows.

"Riku? What's wrong?"

"It's just..." he seemed to struggle with the words, "I... uh..." Taking a deep breath, his eyes met wit Sora's. "I really should not kiss you like that right now."

The brunet frowned. "Why not?"

When Riku didn't reply right away, the smaller teen searched his face for answers and suddenly something clicked inside his head.

Sora's eyes grew large.

"Oh."

The brunet felt his face become impossibly hot and he was sure his ears were glowing. Did Riku really imply what he though he was implying? The brunet bit his tongue so hard he thought he was going to draw blood and the beatings of his heart felt like a horse's kick.

"Oh," he repeated. He did not know what to say. This, he had definitely not expected. It was too strange, too sudden. Yet, he understood it, and a small, until now unknown, part of him actually felt extremely happy about the fact that his best friend, the most composed person he could think of, lost his composure in his presence. Riku was actually... -he squirmed inwardly, not knowing what word to choose- _affected_ by him. In a way Sora was sure he had never affected anyone before. The thought scared him a lot, but at the same time he had to admit he was oddly excited.

Gulping, the brunet realized he had to know exactly what that meant. Even if he had to cross boundaries. After all, he already had, hadn't he?

Besides, for Riku, he'd do anything.

* * *

**A/N:** So, things are starting to spice up, if I may say so, and I will hopefully end it all in a spectalcular show! -Laughs- Or I'll just continue with this until the end of time. Either way I will have an update as soon as possible and I hope this was enjoyable! Thank you so much for your reviews! You guys truly are the best! -Grins- Even though writing this today will probably make me fail my History test tomorrow. -Pouts- 


	28. Chapter 28

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine obviously.

**A/N:** Yay! Chapter 28 is up. God, I thought I said this was going to be a not-so-long one. Clearly, I was misjudging.

So, this chapter is a rather long one. Over 4000 words and may I say, I am a bit proud of this baby. There will be a few more chapters and I hope you bear with me on that. Like you've probably noticed; I have absolutely no talent in judging possible size/lenght of my stories. Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews! They are highly appreciated!

Now, on with the story! Please enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty-Eight_

_"Bruised"_

_-_

"Wow!" Axel's eyes shone with amazement as he regarded the drawing Roxas had handed him as they walked home from school. The red head had met up with him in the school yard and the two of them had decided to spend the afternoon together watching movies. The blond was still a bit ashamed about the fact that Cloud had caught him and Axel on the couch the other night and the red head could not seem to have enough fun with it. After several teasing comments, Roxas had somewhat settled with the fact that Axel was not so easily embarrassed as himself, a fact he was not at all surprised by.

He watched Axel curiously as he regarded the painting in his hand. Naminés strong coloring was reflected within the green depths of his eyes and Roxas knew the red head was probably as overwhelmed by the artwork as he had been earlier. Gaping, Axel lifted his head to look at him. "Jeez Sunshine! Naminé actually did this?"

Roxas nodded.

"Holy mother- She's like friggin' Michelangelo!"

The blond giggled. He could not recall seeing Axel this excited over something that had not got to do with himself, movies of video-games. The red head's eyes were about to pop out of his skull and the way his mouth hung wide open witnessed of a pretty big amount of astonishment.

"Damn I'm impressed!"

Roxas shook his head and let out a small laugh. "I can see that."

Axel turned to him and a Cheshire grin appeared in face. "She drew me pretty damn handsome didn't she?" He winked at the blond, "I'll say she has some serious talent."

At this, Roxas rolled his eyes and poked Axel in the ribs. "Yeah Casanova, I'm sure she had a real hard time capturing that boastful spirit of yours too!"

The red head made a face.

After brushing away a handful of fiery strains of hair from his face he gave the picture back to Roxas. The blond took it and wrapped in securely in his bag before proceeding to walk alongside the older teen. He smiled happily when Axel took a hold of his hand and the red head gave an amused chuckle. "You seem to be enjoying yourself Sunshine?"

Roxas' grin widened. "Yep," he looked teasingly up at the teen holding his hand, "I'm being escorted home by the one and only Axel Hitijama. Who would not be enjoying that?"

Axel raised a brow and smirked. He was about to reply, but somewhere behind him, a voice beat him to it. "Me, for example."

They both spun around and found Hayner laughing at them. The sandy haired teen's face literally shone with tomfoolery and his chocolate colored eyes glimmered mischievously at the two boys. He was wearing his trademark army jeans, a black, sleeveless top and the familiar, yellow cross dangled around his neck as usual. However, there was indeed something different about the blond, and knowing Axel probably wore an expression equal to his own, Roxas opened his mouth questioningly.

"Olette." Hayner uttered the name of his girlfriend in a monotone voice. As if he had been expecting the question and had rehearsed that exact reply over and over again. He rolled his eyes and pointed at his left eye, where a big, lilac bruise had formed. "She was fuzzing over a lost hairbrush this morning and I accidentally made a comment about it." He shrugged before adding, "Just before she found it."

Roxas laughed and at his side, Axel grunted cheerfully. "So, I take it you had a date with that same hairbrush then?"

Hayner put up a sheepish look before nodding. "Exactly."

Roxas shook his head amusedly. That was so typical for his best friend. Hayner never really seemed to understand the fact that his girlfriend Olette was not a porcelain doll incapable of making her points. Even though he should indeed have come to terms with that by now, seeing as this definitely wasn't the first time he appeared at school with a black eye. Olette was a very firm young lady and she always knew what she wanted from the surroundings. Clearly, Hayner had missed that piece of information the time he read the Olette-how to use.

"So, what're you guys doing today?"

Axel and Roxas exchanged glances. "We're gonna watch a couple of movies at my place," the blond replied, "you can tag along if you want to. Right Axel?"

The red head nodded, but Hayner shook his head faintly. "No, I should probably go to Olette and make up for that stupid comment. But thanks for the offer anyway."

Axel smirked. "Well, you better watch out for molesting hairbrushes then."

Hayner stooped his head.

* * *

Riku's eyes snapped open as a knocking sound invaded his sleepy mind. Resting his chin in his hand, he turned slightly towards the door and noticed a shadowy silhouette behind the shaded glass. He yawned and rubbed his eyes while he shifted uncomfortably in the chair he had been resting in. 

He had spent the whole day at the hospital with Sora and after several hours, both of them had gotten tired and at some point they had both managed to doze off. The silver haired teen had taken a nap in the chair beside Sora's bed and his stiff neck told him he should probably have found a better place to rest.

The knocking grew louder and more demanding, so Riku decided he should probably let whoever was there inside. Just as he was getting up, Sora's voice sounded from the bed.

"Will you?"

The brunet gave a small laugh and nodded his head towards the door as his azure eyes locked with aquamarines, "as you can probably see, I'm a bit attached..."

Riku rolled his eyes at the younger boy, before smirking vaguely. "You don't say." And with that he headed for the door. He was about to open it, but before he got that far, he was nearly knocked over as it came flying at him, barely missing him by a few inches.

When he regained his composure, he recognized the person in the doorway and Riku felt a big, warm smile appear in his face.

"Sora!" The spiky haired brunet in the bed got no time to respond as Kairi flung herself around his neck and gave him a mind-crushing hug. All he managed was to let out a startled yelp, but after catching his breath he squeezed her in return and patted her back gently. "Hey Kai."

Still smiling, Riku walked over to the bed, sat down in the chair once more and just watched as his best friends hugged.

They stayed like that for quite a while, none of them moving. Kairi rested her head in the crook of Sora's neck and Riku could not avoid noticing how her shoulders shook faintly. Sora just held her tight, seemingly taking comfort in the warm embrace. Kairi had without doubt been extremely worried and obviously, the tension she'd been carrying was now letting go.

When she released him, the auburn haired girl wiped her eyes swiftly before turning to Riku. Smiling whole heartedly at her, he reached out and she fell against his chest. He wrapped his arms securely around her lither form and one of his hands came up to tread through her soft auburn locks.

"Thank you Ri!" She murmured after a while.

Looking slightly befuddled the silver haired teen furrowed his brows. "For?"

Kairi swallowed hard before clearing her throat. "For taking care of him, silly!" The older teen felt his heart clench at her words and his gaze fell to the floor. Kairi... they had to tell her sooner or later. Riku dared not even imagine how she'd take the news. Knowing Kairi, she would probably have a stroke. Shaking the image of a flabbergasted Kairi out of his head he lifted his eyes again. "Yeah..."

The auburn haired girl turned to Sora once more and a new set of tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Sora..."

She released Riku and took Sora's uninjured hand. "I was so worried about you!" Riku felt his heart twinge at the obvious sadness in her voice. He knew exactly what she meant. He had been worried sick and out of his mind too. Biting down on his lower lip, he remembered the icy feeling that had appeared in his gut when he first heard of the accident and without much effort, he recalled the feeling of heart falling to the bottom of his stomach. It had been absolutely awful, and therefore, the silver haired teen could easily relate to Kairi.

"When your mother called me I nearly had a heart attack. How on earth did it happen?"

Sora gave a faint smile. "Well, I was just being slow as usual and I guess I did not pay enough attention to the surroundings. I was a bit out of it..." He trailed off and Riku bit his lip. He thought he knew the reason why Sora had been 'out of it' and he wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall. The day Sora had been hit by that car was the day after their terrible argument. The argument where Sora had swung at him. He looked away. He did not want to see the forgiving look he knew had to be evident in his best friend's eyes.

"You are so dense sometimes." Kairi interrupted his trail of thoughts, "you have to be more careful. Just think about what could have happened! How fast did the ambulance get there anyway?"

Sora shrugged a little, "I don't really know. It was all pretty blurry." He furrowed his brows. "I think they came pretty fast. I don't remember much. All I know is that suddenly I was here and so were Roxas, Mom and Axel." He swallowed thickly. "And Riku."

The silver haired teen sighed. The time was as good as any.

* * *

"I can imagine Roxas was pretty nervous when you decided to talk to him about it." 

Cloud's head shot up from the newspaper he had been skimming through and he fixed Leon with an intense stare. "Why?"

The two of them were currently sitting on the couch in Leon's living room and the clock had just passed seven. They had met up for a meal after work and now they were simply enjoying each other's company. Cloud had told Leon about his little incident, walking in on Roxas and Axel the other night, and even though he felt a bit like a gossiping teenage girl, it had actually felt good to share it with the slightly older man. Leon had this own way of understanding him and nor this time had he disappointed the blond. The stoic brunet had simply listened and now he was giving response.

Leon shrugged. "Why wouldn't he be?" He paused a little and slightly befuddled, the blond noticed how his expression turned into one of mischief. His stormy eyes gleamed with tomfoolery and a small smirk grazed his features. "Who would not be intimidated by you Strife?"

Cloud just huffed. "Shut up Leon. You have no idea how frightening I can be." And with that, he put up a face he hoped would resemble a certain headmaster.

He knew he was being childish, but at the point, he really did not care. For some reason he could not refrain from acting the way he did. Something deep inside of him, a playful force he had not even been aware he had made him want to joke and have fun with the older man. Leon, Cloud thought bemused, actually managed to wake that playfulness in him. A mission no one else had ever accomplished. The blond almost laughed at the thought. What on earth was it with the other male that made him act like this? Cloud knew a lot of people, and he could swear all of them -except Vincent of course- was happier and more outgoing than Squall Leonheart. Nonetheless the dark haired teacher was indeed the reason the blond often found himself smile when in his company.

Said teacher gave a small snort before poking Cloud gently in the shoulder. "Oh, yeah I'm sure you're one hell of a monster sometimes Blondie."

Cloud almost choked on his breath. With eyes bigger than blitzballs he regarded the other man. "Blondie?"

The fit of laughter that followed soon had them both wiping their eyes and Cloud actually had to clutch his side as the pain he got from laughing so hard was becoming a bit difficult to ignore.

When he regained somewhat control of his voice, the blond shook is head. "You're such an idiot Leonheart."

Leon grinned at him, and Cloud felt his heart flutter. Seeing the brunet's strong face lighten up like that reminded him of the sight of the sun breaking through the clouds, bathing everything in its shining glory. Leon truly was a sight to behold when he smiled. When he did, his eyes lost every trace of cold, and for some breathtaking seconds, he seemed completely carefree. People had often said the same thing about Cloud and the blond assumed it was because seeing as he rarely ever smiled, the gesture was such a great contrast to the way he usually held his face. He figured it was probably the same with Leon. None the less, the brunet truly looked astonishing while smiling and there was nothing the blond could do but stare as those tumultuous twin storms gleamed with cheerfulness.

"Well, I might be an idiot, but you're the dumb blonde, Cloud."

Said dumb blonde pouted.

"You know Cloud," the blond looked up, traces of the pout still evident on his features. It dissolved, however, once he saw the other man's expression. The look Leon sent him was one of pure honesty and for a moment they just gazed at each other. Then, the blond nodded and waited for the brunet to continue. After several seconds, Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, his stare intensifying.

"I've only been in love once in my life." Cloud's eyes went wide. He could hardly believe his own ears. Squall Leonheart was actually spilling his secrets. Where the hell did that come from? Cloud could not recall to ever had asked about such a thing and nothing he had done that night could have required Leon to talk about something like that. Nonetheless, the brunet was now indeed talking about it and Cloud found himself on the verge of an extensive shock.

The blond did not reply, simply because he was afraid he'd ruin the moment.

Shrugging faintly, the stoic brunet at his side let out a small sigh. "As you can probably imagine, my first and only crush was Rinoa." Cloud had no idea where this sudden rush of words came from, but in reality, it did not matter. All that mattered was that Leon was trusting him enough to tell him this. After all, Cloud knew all about isolation and he was very familiar with how hard it was to share your inner thoughts and secrets with someone.

"She was the only person I relied on at that time. The only one I really trusted. Nobody even had the chance to get within five feet of me. While she practically clung to me." He smiled dreamily at the memories. "Sometimes I just wanted her to buzz off so badly, but the times she actually listened to me and did, I felt horrible and begged her to come back." Scratching his head, the brunet gave a faint chuckle. "One time, I had to beg on my knees for half an hour." He shook his head, "damn that hurt!"

Cloud was amazed. Not only was Leon letting him in, he was literally keeping all the doors open, and the blond felt like he had finally come to a point where he did not have to watch his every move. Leon had given him a thumb up, and he was allowed to search for answers on his own.

"She sounds amazing."

Leon nodded vaguely. "She was. I have never encountered someone with such willpower in my life. Rinoa never gave up on anything and she was so damn persistent sometimes I swear she was inhuman!" He laughed some more as the picture of a set of sparkling almond-shaped eyes ascended in his mind. "And so goddamn stubborn. God! If she wanted something, there was absolutely no way I could talk her out of it. Even if it was something dangerous she'd simply tell me to grow some balls or just leave her alone. Which of course, I never did."

He ran his fingers through his hair and Cloud could not help but imgaine how it would feel to touch the silky tresses. Leon was quiet for a while and the silence was growing around them. Then, the dark haired man locked gazes with the blond and with growing abhorrence, Cloud noticed how small tears prickled in the corner of his friend's stormy eyes. This, the blond had not expected and he really did not know how to respond to this abnormal behavior. The dim lights of his living room and the darkening sky evident behind the window glass suddenly made his whole appearance more obscure than Cloud had ever seen him. The brown haired man looked as if he was broken and the by now familiar pain the blond had often seen lurking in the stony depths of his eyes was now clear as daylight. For the first time, Cloud truly understood that pain. It was because of Rinoa that Leon's face was always shadowed and it was because of this woman that the other man always seemed to appear locked up and somewhat shut down.

"I loved her, Cloud." Leon's voice was hushed, as if something was about to break inside of him and he was trying to prevent it. At that precise moment, Cloud felt so extremely bad for the brown haired man, and all he wanted to do was to cradle him in his arms. But, one did not cradle Squall Leonheart. At least not if one envied one's life.

"She was such a pain in the ass sometimes and there were moments I just wanted to strangle her for being the annoying person she was, but still... No one treated me like she did. She never once appeared scared of me. Hell, her eyes didn't even flicker when I was on my worst and she _never_ gave up on me! The way she always made me feel like I had someone to talk to, even if I wanted it or not... She just... She made me feel like a normal kid Cloud."

He paused, and for a moment they just sat there in silence, none of them capable of even moving. Clearly, Cloud thought, opening up to someone like this was not something the brunet did every day, so it had to involve quite the emotional battle for him. The blond was very aware of what it meant to be embedded and therefore, he could easily imagine how Leon felt at the moment. Sharing from your soul wasn't the easiest thing to do, especially not when the soul you were supposed to share from had been trapped inside of you without company for so long that when you finally decided to let it out it had simply forgot how to mingle with other souls. Still, despite the other man's obvious difficulties with speaking his mind, Cloud had to admit he was impressed. He could only imagine how he himself would have felt if he was supposed to tell something like this to someone. He was sure he'd have a lot more problems than the brunet. Glancing over at said brunet, the blond noticed how he was slowly, but surely gaining his normal stoic composure and when he at last spoke his voice was sullen and seemed almost drained of power. The sorrowful tone was gone. Left was only a tinge of sadness.

"She just kept it that way. As we grew older, she still treated me as if I was like everyone else, even though an infant could see I was not." He licked his lips. "That was the way she was. Call her dense or whatever, but she just believed in people. She had this unique way of dismissing all of your bad sides and focus on the good ones. That's probably the reason why I cared for her so much."

The blond nodded. "I know the feeling. Tifa used to be that way with me."

At the sound of Tifa's name, Leon's head shot up and his eyes met with Cloud. "Tifa reminds me of Rinoa you know." He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "That's probably why I befriended her in the first place. Not only does she have the same looks, she also has this..." he struggled to find the words, "this aura around her. An aura that says you can trust her." He smiled faintly, the tears gone from his eyes. "Tifa is a good woman."

Cloud gave a faint nod. "I know."

Silence fell once more and none of them said anything for a long time. They simply sat there, watching the shadows increase, leaving the room darker by each minute. Soon, there was no trace of sunlight left and the only light source was the lamp above the table. Cloud closed his eyes for a moment, but they immediately snapped open when a hand suddenly grazed his own. Knots appeared in his stomach and he clenched his jaws tightly. He dared not look at the other man. Feeling how his blood began to rush through his veins, he closed his eyes again and let the calloused hand keep touching him. He held his breath as their fingers slowly intertwined and bit his lip when a thumb started stroking the back of his hand.

"Cloud..." Leon's voice was deeper than the blond could recall to ever have heard it and it made the lither man shiver slightly. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and glanced at the other man. What he saw made his breath hitch.

He had never seen the brunet like this, and Cloud doubted Leon knew exactly how arousing he looked at that precise moment. His brown tresses fell into his deep, gray eyes, leaving his face partly shadowed and the pearly white teeth barely visible between his chapped lips was a strong contrast to his otherwise dark coloring. Cloud shivered as the other male slid his fingers around his neck and pulled him closer. His spine was beginning to feel like mush and his heartbeats grew fiercer and more passionate by the second. Swallowing hard, the blond could do nothing but stare as those gloomy eyes moved closer, until they were merely inches apart. His grip around the brunet's hand was becoming impossibly tight.

"Yes," he breathed, not knowing what else to reply.

"Would you mind it terribly if I kissed you now?"

Cloud felt his heart jump violently and the blood throbbed in his veins with a speed he had been unfamiliar with until now. Jolts of fire shot through his body and there was nothing he could do to stop the small gasp that tore its way from him.

Would he mind?

_Of course not._

Cloud knew he wanted this. Wanted it so badly.

Ever since their first meeting, there had been this enormous tension between them. A tension the blond had never felt with anyone else. Just with Leon. Only with Leon. Leon was the one single person that had ever been able to make him smile when there was absolutely nothing to smile about. Not even Tifa had that sort of influence on him. Leon, a man he barely knew had him laughing like a maniac, even when he felt no urge to actually do so. Countless times, Cloud had found himself listening to the strange sound of his own laughter and idly wondered how on earth it was possible that he person making those noises was him. He had felt genuine happiness, for some reason he did not even care to figure out. For the first time in his life, Cloud had felt utterly and completely at ease with someone else. He'd felt like everything around him made sense. Like he was a part of some greater scheme.

And now the same person that evoked these feeling inside of him was asking for his permission to kiss him?

Cloud could not find his voice. Instead, he just leaned forward and captured the pair of warm lips he had been craving for.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there you have it. I'm sorry for the lack of AkuRoku, but like I said earlier. This was one hell of a monster compared to my usual 2000-words chapters. There was simply no room. Haha! Thank you all for your suppport! I hope to have a new one up soon and I'm thinking about changing the rating to M. What do you think about that?

So, Riku thinks they should tell Kairi now, Cloud is all over Leon (Uh, I guess they are all over each other) and our favorite couple is going to have movienight.

As for Hayner, I hope he avoids that hairbrush... Poor thing.

Demyx: Where was I?

Na: -blinks- Demyx? -burst out in tears- DEMYX!! Oooh!! I missed you SO much!!

Demyx: -wide stare- Excuse me WHAT?!

Na: -sniffles- I thought I'd lost you. -smiles- But now you're back and we can have fun and compete again! -laughs- And I can kick your ass as usual. God, I missed doing that!

Demyx: ...Fugures


	29. Chapter 29

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine

**A/N:** Okay, I have nothing to say really,but; You are AWSOME! And yeah... **the rating has officiallt changed to M**. Please let me know what you think. I am really anxious about writing scenes like this and feedback would be very much appreciated! Thank you guys for reviewing!!

Now, please enjoy!!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Twenty-Nine_

_"Late Night Visits"_

-

Leon, once named Squall, clenched his jaws tightly upon seeing the heated look in Cloud's eyes.

The blonde's mouth hung slightly open and his big, abnormal colored sapphires were clouded with lust. The otherwise stoic brunet let out a small gasp.

Cloud was beautiful.

Leon was amazed by the sole fact that he had not noticed this before. Sure, he knew Cloud was a handsome man and that he had been lucky with his looks, yet, the brunet had to admit this was the first time he had actually described him as beautiful. Now looking at Cloud, Leon realized he was indeed just that.

His blond spikes wavered playfully in the swift breeze coming from the open window and his somewhat angelic features was far beyond captivating. His creamy cheeks, now flushed with want and his rosy lips made Leon want to claim him on the spot.

The brunet found himself slightly frightened by the fact that his affection for the blond was growing with such a speed. The way he felt about Cloud had gone from friendly interest to almost obsession in only a few days and now he was actually turned on by the younger man. He bit his lip as he let his eyes roam over the face he had grown so fond of lately. Kissing Cloud had felt like heaven and Leon was sure he had never experienced a kiss that passionate before. Cloud had been fire in his arms and the brunet could not recall to ever have wanted a person so badly in his life. He had been close with Rinoa and the dark haired woman was yet the only one he had ever loved, but once he thought about it, Leon knew he had never shared a kiss like that with her. She had been his first everything and what they'd shared could never be wiped away from his mind, but what he was now experiencing, he had never gone through with Rinoa. Not with anyone.

It scared the shit out of him. He had known since the first day he met Cloud, that he was somewhat attracted to the blond, and Leon was not late to admit that he had indeed suffered from a lot of dreams lately concerning the other man. Yet, he was fair to say, surprised by the fact that he was now acting out on those dreams and that he was currently living them in a very satisfying way. He had actually made out with Cloud and that thought got him more aroused by the second.

Feeling the growing bulge in his tight leather pants, the brunet groaned before bending down to capture those warm, swollen lips again.

His hands rose at their own accord, and moved up the blond's spine. He could feel Cloud shudder under the touch and when a tiny whimper escaped the blond, Leon was sure he was going to come right there. The sound was simply to much. Cloud clung to him like a drowning man, and the way he devoured Leon's mouth made the brunet see red. He had no idea of what he was doing, before he found Cloud pinned against the couch, looking up at him with a slightly startled expression.

"L—Leon?" The blond's voice was husky and his breath came in small gasps. He appeared a bit taken aback by the turn of events, but when Leon bent down once more and murmured a breathy 'yes?' in his ear, he seemed to relax completely and forced their lips together for another mind-blowing kiss. The sensations that ran through the brunet's body at that moment made him think he was going to explode, but as Cloud's tongue fought with his own for dominance, he forgot all about thinking and was soon lost in the heat. The way Cloud writhed beneath him nearly drove him insane and Leon knew he was not going to manage to hold back for much longer.

Trembling, he ground their hips together, noticing that the other man was just as hard as himself.

Without forewarning, he reached down and groped the lither man's ass, pressing their groins firmer together. The friction elicited a loud moan from Cloud, and Leon felt how his own breath became more ragged by the second.

He was so unbelievably aroused. As their tongues continued their battle of dominance, the brunet slid his hands to the front of Cloud's pants.

The blond yelped in surprise when his fingers came in contact with his erection through the fabric and Leon quickly started to rub the hard bulge.

"Ah!"

Hearing the desperate pant coming from the blond's lips made Leon's throat go dry, and the tight knot in his stomach grew tighter, his whole being practically begging for release.

Leon forced their lips apart for a moment and bent down to suck and nibble on the other man's neck. Apparently, this was too much for Cloud, for within seconds, the blond was gasping for air, tugging frantically at Leon's brown tresses.

Leon could not believe what was happening. The feeling of having Cloud underneath him, so close to him made his heart flutter in a way he could only recall to have felt around a particular dark haired woman. It felt not only incredibly good, it also felt extremely _right_.

It was that feeling of contentment that scared him. Leon had slept with a lot of females over the years and he was not unfamiliar with the act of lovemaking. He was known to be a successful lover and he had never had any complaints. Not that he knew about at least. Yet, however much experience he had in the matter, this was almost entirely new to him. The fact that is was a man he was doing these things with did not freak him out. When it came to Cloud, he had seen past gender almost immediately, only knowing the blond evoked certain feelings within him. This had not and did not bother him. No, it was the fact that he actually _felt_ something while doing these things with Cloud that had him not only genuinely surprised, but _scared_.

As the brunet continued stroking Cloud through his pants, he sucked hard at the blond's neck, knowing he would leave a mark.

This was definitely not what he'd had in mind once he'd invited Cloud home earlier. Yet, he could not say he was disappointed. This was more than he had ever hoped for, and suddenly Leon found himself overcome by the need to let the blond know just this.

Still touching him, Leon moved his lips away from Cloud's neck. Trembling like a leaf in strong wind, he let their gazed lock and while his hand kept stroking the front of the blond's pants he noticed how tears of pleasure had begun to form in the other's eyes.

He barely found his own voice and when he did, the words came out as nothing but hoarse whispers.

"Cloud..." The blond, now panting harshly, nodded and Leon noticed he was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Cloud... I didn't mean for this to— This was not why I invited you ho—"

"I know." The words were shaky, but Leon understood them just fine. Feeling how his own eyes widened he gazed down at the writhing blond.

"I know Leon. But I want this. So please, don't make me beg for it."

The blond was shaking uncontrollably, and his hips constantly moved in spastic motions against Leon's hand, all the while small gasps and whimpers escaped him.

The brunet groaned.

He was harder than he had ever been before, and the sounds that were coming from his blond companion did not exactly turn him off. No, he was definitely not going to make Cloud beg for it. He wanted this just as badly as the blond, if not more and knowing this, he bent down and kissed him again.

This time, there was nothing rough about the kiss. It was only slow, gentle and filled with emotions. Their lips moved together in smooth synchronized motions and Leon cloud swear he felt their hearts beat in unison as well. For some reason he could not explain, there was a faint pressure behind his eyes and a warm, long forgotten feeling was slowly spreading in his chest. Shuddering, he ran his free hand up the other man's side.

"Cloud..." his voice was low and husky, to the point where Leon barely recognized it.

The blond tilted his head slightly to look at him, an almost pained look grazing his features.

"Yeah?"

Leon gritted his teeth. Seeing Cloud's reddened face nearly became too much for him to handle, and before he got the chance to contemplate what he was doing, he pushed at the blond's shirt, a motion so brutal that it made the blond's lither form move several inches underneath him.

Cloud's head slammed against the armrest and he let out a tiny cry of pain. Leon steadied himself atop of the blond and was about to apologize when a hand caught his.

"Don't." There was a determined look on Cloud's face. A look that made the brunet close his mouth.

Then, Cloud proceeded bringing Leon's hand down between them. Leon watched in awe as the blond shamelessly cried out when he cupped his erection again. His eyes were shut tightly, and his hips arched up to meet the brunet's hand.

Leon though he was going to lose his consciousness, but before such a thing could happen, Cloud's hand shot up and cupped his cheek, forcing the brunet to look at him.

"Never apologize to me Leonheart." Leon could only shake his head as their eyes locked.

"And please, finish what you started." With those word, the blond's hand left his face, and suddenly Leon felt his pants become undone and moments later the same hand tightened around his erection.

Leon screamed.

The feeling of Cloud's hand around his shaft was pure bliss and the fact that he'd never been this worked up before did not make it less good. When Cloud started pumping him, Leon's hands clenched desperately around the blond's shoulders and he could not prevent a loud, dry sob of pleasure from escaping him. The blood rushed trough his veins like cars on the highway and the brunet soon found his hips grinding desperately against the blond's hand.

"Oh—Oh God, Cloud!"

Cloud increased the pressure, and Leon felt the world slowly starting to shatter.

Then, just when he thought he was about to lose it, Cloud stopped his ministrations, making the brunet groan disappointedly.

Yet, before he got the chance to say anything, Cloud leaned up and kissed him hungrily. Leon, still unbelievably hard, kissed back fervently, but was once again disappointed when the blond pulled away.

Cloud looked into Leon's stormy gray eyes and the almost lost look in them nearly made him chuckle. Then, he fell serious, and feeling how his groin throbbed painfully, he reached up and touched the brunet's shoulder.

"Leon..." His voice quivered slightly, "I want you to make love to me."

The flabbergasted, yet hungry expression that ascended in the stoic man's face was enough to make Cloud sure that there was nothing in the world the brunet wanted to do more than that.

* * *

"That went... uhm... ok?" 

The silver haired teen quirked an eyebrow at his best friend, who was currently watching him with an expression Riku had never seen him wear before. The brunet was unbelievingly pale and a vein the older teen hadn't noticed before was throbbing roughly in his forehead. His trademark pout was right in place and the furrowed brows told Riku he was at the moment lost in thoughts of his own.

Sighing, the silver haired teen rubbed his temples.

"You really think so?" Himself, he most certainly did not.

Kairi's reaction had not exactly been fatal, but it had indeed been heavy. The auburn haired girl had looked so flabbergasted by their revelations that Riku had feared she would go into shock and he actually cringed when he remembered the hurt look in her eyes.

Sora sent him a faint smile. "Well... I suppose it could have been worse?"

Riku felt his own lips tug upwards a little. "Yeah? How?"

The brunet shrugged a little. "She could have gotten angry."

Riku gave a nod. "Hn..."

Surely, she had not gotten mad. No,he thought, she was not the type to become mad over something like that. She loved them both. They knew that for sure, and she would support them no matter what.

However, she had gotten hurt. She'd never said so, but both of them had been able to see right through her facade. Riku guessed she was probably feeling somewhat left out. As if her best friends shared something she could never become a part of. In some ways, the silver haired teen admitted silently to himself, that was the truth as well. How would he have taken it if he had received such a message? Well, had it been Sora and Kairi who hooked up, Riku had no doubts he would have gone insane. He was madly in love with Sora after all and just thinking about him and Kairi together made him sick. He could not picture his best friend with anyone else and damn, he did not even want to! Shaking those kind of thoughts away, he reached out and grabbed the brunet's hand. It felt warm and alive and even though a bit stiffly, Sora's fingers curled around his and soon their hands became intertwined.

Swallowing, the silver haired teen bit his lip as his thoughts drifted back to today's events.

It wasn't that he had expected her reaction to be different, he knew her after all. Kairi had never been the one to hide her feelings and she mot certainly wasn't shy. He had known it would be difficult to tell her and he had imagined her reaction in his silent mind several times, but nothing had really been able to prepare him for the real thing.

At first, she had just stared at them, as if they were some kind of weir looking aliens. He remembered how her mouth had fallen to the floor and how her eyes had turned so large he'd been afraid they would pop out of their sockets. Her face had seemed to lose all color and the way she had stiffened completely made Riku think of the time him and Sora had told her about their plan about building a raft and use it to travel around the world. They had been around the age of ten, and the auburn haired girl, who had definitely been much more naïve at that time had been completely freaked out by it.

Of course, their world-tour had not gone as planned, seeing as once Mrs. Kitamura found out, she practically set the whole world in motion to figure out where her little boys had gotten the crazy idea of leaving home. Sora's mom could be pretty stern sometimes and she would have none of their little escape. With a mental chuckle, Riku remembered how Sora had called him and told him that he was probably grounded for the next five years.

Then, his mind decided to focus their current situation and all off a sudden he turned really serious.

Clutching Sora's hand tighter he closed his eyes for a moment. This had been a long day and he was tired. He was just going to stay at the hospital for a while longer. The he'd be heading home and sleep.

However, they'd have to deal with things in the morning.

* * *

"Cloud?" Cerulean eyes snapped open when his name was spoken in a soft, gentle tone. A tone he thought he'd never grow tired of hearing from the owner of the voice. 

Smiling, the blond noticed Leon watching him from the kitchen entrance, his arms occupied with holding two cups of what, judging by the smell, appeared to be steaming coffee. The brunet was fully dressed now, but his unbuttoned shirt spoke of their earlier ministrations. Smirking faintly, the blond let his eyes roam over his lover's bare torso. Leon was muscular, but not to the point where it became forced. His abs were rather evident beneath his tanned skin and a dark trail of hair ran from his navel and crept its way under the hem of his leather pants. His figure resembled strength, and the blond knew from experience that his looks was not deceiving. He had a few sore spots to witness about it.

Smirking, Cloud realized he was staring, and he averted his gaze to meet the other man's stormy eyes. Apparently, Leon had noticed too, and his lip tugged upwards as they looked at each other.

"Seeing something you like?" he questioned, grin widening.

Cloud scoffed a little before returning the smile. "Maybe..."

Chuckling, the brunet shook his head and walked over to the blond, handing him his coffee.

"I figured you'd want some."

The blond had been dozing off at the brunet's couch and apparently, Leon had taken this as a sign of tiredness. In reality, Cloud was not tired, just content and therefore, he had been feeling relaxed.

After taking a sip of the hot, strong liquid, the blond placed it carefully upon the wooden living room table and glanced up at the other male who had taken a seat next to him in the couch. Reaching out, he brushed a few strains of hair out of Leon's face, before gently cupping his cheek. Slowly, he ran his thumb along the smooth skin there and noticed with amusement how the other man's eyes slipped closed at the touch.

"Well," the blond replied mischievously, "I can in fact think of a couple of things I'd want even more."

Still with is eyes closed, Leon rose a brow. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

Feeling how he practically melted at the sight of the other man's pleasured face, Cloud leaned in and brushed his lips against the brunet's. "You..."

_Riiing!_

They both jumped at the sound of the doorbell. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, before they simultaneously turned their gazes towards the door. Frowning, from both disappointment and curiosity, Leon gave the blond a small peck on the cheek before withdrawing from the small embrace and rose to his feet. "I'll get it."

As he walked for the door, Cloud could not help but notice how his movements, even when he was unaware of being watched, was agonizingly sensual and licking his lips, the blond remembered just how sensual the brunet could be.

He watched as Leon opened the door and wondered silently who exactly would pay the man a visit at such a late hour. The door creaked open and Cloud found himself stretching to see who it was. Then, he furrowed his brows as the brunet suddenly stiffened and further more, when a chill that could not only come from the open door swept through the room, causing goosebumps to appear on his skin. A strangely familiar chill...

_Oh shit._

-

"So, the two of you were associating solely out of work-related reasons?" Vincent Valentine's voice was as plain as usual and neither of the two men had the guts to meet his eyes at that particular moment. They just nodded.

"I see."

Somehow, the reply could not have been more intimidating if he had shouted something along the lines of 'and you expect me to believe that?'. Even though there had been no sarcasm involved, both Leon and Cloud felt is if they were being mocked, but neither of them made a comment about it. They stayed as silent as before.

The moment Cloud had acknowledged Vincent's presence he had understood that trying to cover something up would be a lost cause. He had practically felt how his heart fell to the bottom of his stomach and his legs had felt oddly wobbly as he walked over to the door to greet his chilly friend.

Said friend had been genuinely surprised to see him, even though he only showed it by raising an elegant, dark brow. Cloud knew the Vincent-language, so the gesture did not go unnoticed. However, he had not been completely able to place the vague smirk that had appeared in the other's face a few moments later.

After a big amount of awkward silence, where Cloud's, and most likely Leon's mind as well, had been racing desperately to find an excuse for his own presence here, the dark haired man had spoken.

"Cloud." A slight pause, "it's nice to see you."

Blushing, and cursing himself for doing so, the blond had mumbled a 'hello' and a 'yes, you too'.

Somehow, he was sure Vincent knew that he was lying.

The headmaster had come to Leon's house to give him some papers that he had left in his office the other day. Apparently they were test-results, so the dark haired man had figured he'd might needed them. Cloud had inwardly rolled his eyes at this. Vincent had this creepy habit of always showing up when people last needed it. From what Cloud knew, the other had always been like that and he was most likely to never change.

After a round of distressing none-important weather-talk, Leon had thanked the headmaster for his efforts and left the two of them in the doorway with a silent nod.

Now, standing there with the dark haired man, Cloud felt not only distressed, but rather helpless as well. What the hell was he supposed to say? He had known he dark haired man for several years now and he happened to know bloody well that Vincent was not blind. Nor was he ignorant. And he was most certainly not dumb. Therefore, the blond did not doubt that the chilly headmaster had come to realize th truth about him and Leon. Vincent surely knew about Cloud's lack of social intelligence and he had undoubtedly noticed that neither the brunet seemed to have a lot of that.

"Cloud." His name was bare audible, but spoken in that monotone, familiar tone, the blond could not refrain from hearing it. No one could be as demanding as Vincent Valentine, even considered that he never really raised his voice.

Sighing, he lifted his gaze. A part of him wanted to simply slam the door in the headmaster's face, while another part of him wanted to give up the whole facade and just throw the truth in his face. Well, Vincent was probably familiar with it now anyway.

Frowning slightly, he decided there wasn't really anything to do but facing whatever the black haired man was about to give him.

"It seems you and Mr. Leonheart are getting along quite well."

There was absolutely no trace of emotion in Vincent's raspy voice, and Cloud found himself wondering how the other man was capable of talking without adding any feelings at all. It was almost as if the headmaster was constantly going on auto-pilot and he seemed to be in total control of the situation at all times. The only settings in which Cloud had ever experienced him showing any kind of disturbance, were the ones including another one of his friends, Yuffie Kisaragi.

Suddenly smirking, Cloud remembered the countless times the hyperactive female had managed to throw the otherwise cool Vincent Valentine out of composure, a task no one else seemed to ever manage. Yuffie, Cloud reckoned, had an unique influence on the embedded man and the way she constantly seemed to annoy him or upset him in some way only made that impression stronger.

Cloud had not seen anyone else being able to do that. Well, Yuffie was _Yuffie _after all.

Feeling the other's eyes burning into his skin, he lifted his gaze and realized he had been zoning out. Inhaling deeply he nodded.

"Well, we share the same... interests." He could have slapped himself for such a stupid reply. Feeling how he was again blushing, the blond hoped the other man hadn't noticed. However, he was strongly disappointed when he caught the look in the headmaster's face.

Vincent's raised eyebrow and now clearly visible smirk spoke for themselves.

* * *

**A/N:** ::Blushed madly:: There... Eeep! What do you think? 

There is no AkuRoku here, but the next chapter will be solely about them. ::Grins::

You see, Leon and Cloud is so damn demanding and I just could not get on with the story without writing this. ::Blushes again:: Well... so... yeah... here it is...

I love Vincent, and that you have probably noticed!! Yay for him!! Thehee...


	30. Chapter 30

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine... FANfiction!

**A/N:** Well, chapter 30 is up and I am tired! What's up with the lenghts? -Laughs- Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Thirty_

_"Addiction, but Love?"_

-

Axel's expression was one of utter concentration, and by looking at his face, Roxas could practically hear the wheels in his brain squeaking. He looked so caught up in reading on the back of a video that Roxas would not be surprised if he suddenly started drooling.

"You should seriously consider getting some professional help. Do you know that?" Roxas' voice was stern, but his tone was far from solemn. Axel caught up with it at once, and smirking, he cocked an eyebrow at the younger teen. "Really? Why?"

Glancing quickly at the movie-cover in Axel's hand, the blond snorted and proceeded with rolling his eyes. "Because you have an addiction."

The red head could not refrain from grinning madly. "Oh, so you think I watch too many movies?" He faked a pout, a gesture that did not suit him at all. "Well, Sunshine", like always, the blond made a face at the nickname, "that's your opinion." He smirked, knowing all too well that Roxas was about to begin scowling.

"You go down on me too hard anyway. I mean, lots of youths these days simply have nothing to do with their lives. There are no events you know. Their whole existence is dull. Can you blame them for watching a couple of movies?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "So, you're saying you have a dull life?"

Still smirking, Axel knew he'd hit the target. "Maybe..."

Roxas gave a squeaky yelp and smacked him across the chest, earning a bemused snigger in response. "Jerk!"

The red head's features softened. "No, no, relax Roxie. I don't think I have a dull life. You're in it, aren't you?"

Roxas felt how heart fluttered when Axel's eyes met with his and without thinking he leaned in and kissed the red head fully on the mouth.

"Good." He whispered. "And I'm not getting out of it either." Chuckling, he nibbled at Axel's bottom lip. "Not unless you kill me off."

The red head made a face. "I could never do that Sunshine!" The little snigger that followed was unmistakable and the blond knew he was in for a good round of teasing. "That would mean I'd lose contact with your mom." He grinned madly. "And that would have meant no more cookies!"

Even though he had known it was coming, the blond let out a throaty groan and slapped the red head once more. Axel winced and glared at him, but the next moment they were both laughing maniacally. Wiping his eyes, the red head clutched Roxas's hand and proceeded kissing him again. "You know what Roxie?" He laughed some more before continuing.

"I think I love you right now!" He pronounced it as with so much joy that Roxas though he was kidding at first, but after a couple of seconds, he realized the red head was all but making jokes. His eyes widened and it felt almost as if his heart stopped. Holding his breath, he watched Axel in awe as the red head leaned in a brushed his lips against his. "Yes..." he whispered, "I do."

A loud bang was heard as a door slammed shut somewhere in the house, followed by steps in the hallway. Mrs. Kitamura briefly stuck her head inside the living room before disappearing again.

"Boys! I'm leaving for the market!"

* * *

Tanka Kitamura had never been a dumb woman. Even though someone might consider her a bit dense sometimes because of her habit to space out once in a while, she was far from ignorant and she definitely noticed what was happening around her. More than anyone, the dark haired woman seemed to keep tracks of the ever changing environment and the way she always appeared to know what was going on, truly was remarkable. It was a gift really, being able to see through almost everyone and everything. Tanka was lucky to be blessed with this gift. 

Therefore, it had not passed her by when Sora and Riku's relationship first started developing into something more than just friendship. She had seen the signs and known exactly what was happening between the two boys. However, she had kept quiet about it and she had immediately decided that it was up to them to figure out out themselves.

Still, she had kept watching them, always aware of the changes.

And, now, with her other son, it was not at all different.

Tanka smiled softly as she exited the house and strolled over to the garage. Clicking the button on her key-chain that made it open, she glanced back at the house one more time before entering. Once she was safely in the car, Mrs. Kitamura chuckled vaguely to herself. Roxas was indeed obvious!

She almost shook her head in amusement as she pictured her blond son and Axel on the couch. They had practically been worming under each other's skin and the cushy pillow that was 'randomly' placed in between them, did not manage to hide their clasped hands at all.

Tanka felt her smile widen as she started the engine and drove off. The two of them was just as miserable in hiding things as Cloud had been the age of fourteen when he got his first porn-magazine from a friend and desperately tried to avoid her figuring it out. Of course, his permanent blush had given him away, but she had never said anything. She had just laughed silently at his embarrassment and considered the whole thing rather normal, a natural phase of his evolution. He had been a teenager after all.

She chuckled softly as she drove down the streets and thought about how strange it actually was that her oldest son was now grown up. Yes, even Tanka had to admit the blond was now far too old to be called a baby, however, he was still _her_ baby and no age was ever going to change that!

Smiling, she remembered the conversation she'd had with Cloud before she drove off to the market. He had called to tell her that he would not come by for dinner, but spend it with Leon instead.

Now smirking, she dark haired woman slowed down her pace and swiftly covered her eyes with one hand from the suddenly strong sunlight.

Roxas was not the only one of her boys who was obvious and easy to read. Not only was Sora like an open book to almost everyone, but Cloud was indeed pretty easy to figure out as well. At least to her.

Throughout all he years they had spent together, Mrs. Kitamura had seen her son through the eyes of multiple others and it seemed everyone was a bit taken aback by his somewhat embedded nature and his silent personality. Therefore, she suspected that not so many people had the patience to figure him out at all. She bit her lip and drove a little faster.

She had to admit, that when he was younger, she had been somewhat worried about the way he acted and she had been truly afraid that he would not get any close friends if he did not open up more. However, once her little cherub had started kindergarten, he had met this wonderful girl named Tifa Lockheart and the two of them soon became inseparable. Like always, when she thought of the dark haired woman, Tanka's face lit up with a bright and brilliant smile. Tifa had been the first, except herself, to bring out the glee and sunshine she knew had been hiding inside her oldest son. She had stuck with him like a parasite and never allowed him to close himself up completely. She could not have had a better accomplish. And Cloud could not have had a better friend.

Now, she thought, ans she felt her grin widen, it appeared the blond had found another, just as important friend. She knew of Mr. Leonheart, mostly because of what Tifa had told her about him. The two females had joined their schedules sometime in the previous week, as they'd decided to have lunch together and the pregnant woman had told Tanka all about Cloud and Leon's seemingly blossoming relationship. It seemed Tifa too had the ability to see through the blond and Tanka had her suspicions as to why she had used the word 'relationship' instead of 'friendship'.

She almost laughed.

She had always been a mother-hen and it was nearly embarrassing to think about how she constantly looked out for her kids, even though they were by now old enough to take somewhat care of themselves. At least two of them. She frowned a little. Well, Sora was not irresponsible.

He was just... She searched words in her mind.

_Absentminded._

Smiling, she knew she'd found the right adjective. In fact, her son was quite similar to the way she'd been herself when she was a youngster. Tanka knew that she was nothing of that sort now, -except for the fact that she sometimes got caught up in her own little world of thoughts perhaps-, so therefore, she was not too anxious about Sora's future. He'd grow it off someday. Just like her.

Roxas had some of it, but she suspected he'd also been the receiver of his father's composedness and ability to see reason.

Sighing, Tanka remembered how Herald Kitamura had once told her that she had to learn how to trust her kids more often and how he, during a late night embrace teasingly reminded her of her own youth and the fact that she had turned out rather nice, even though she had not been the easiest child. She had told Herold about her childhood and she knew he was right, yet she'd been slightly disappointed about the fact that he did not fully understood her worries. Cloud, Sora and Roxas were her babies after all.

As always, when she thought of Herold, she felt how her heart twinged a little, but none the less, a warm feeling spread through her chest. Herold had been the love of her life so far and Tanka knew that she would never forget th feelings he'd evoked in her. She had met him shortly after Cloud had started school at six and they had gotten married as soon as they found out Tanka was pregnant with twins, about three years later. She chuckled lightly when she recalled how Cloud's eyes had turned impossibly big and how his, back then, slightly chubby face had fallen into very serious folds when she told him that he was going to become a big brother. He had maturely replied her that he was going to support her no matter what and ensured her that he would become the greatest big brother ever.

A promise he had kept.

Only two months after the twins birth, Herold had suffered from a heart-attack and died. The doctors never found out what caused it. Simply a weak heart, they said.

Blinking away the tears she had known would appear, Tanka stopped the car outside the grocery shop. She waited for a few moments to regain her composure before pulling out the car-key, then climbing out of the car. As the walked towards the shops entrance, the brown-haired woman remembered how she and Herold had been dreaming of growing old together and having a bunch grandkids. She almost laughed at the thought. Now, the chances for seemed small, seeing as all of her sons clearly swung away from that path.

"Oh well," she murmured to herself as she entered the store, "surely Kairi will have some and I can spoil them instead."

Just as she had uttered the thought, Mrs. Kitamura's eyes narrowed and widened again just as fast when she saw that the object of her current thoughts was indeed standing right before her. Furrowing her brows in bewilderment, she tilted her head faintly to the side, before speaking up.

"Kairi honey, what's wrong?"

* * *

"So, do you think she noticed anything?" Roxas sounded worried and Axel had to chuckle at the obvious anxiousness in his eyes. 

"Well," he replied smoothly, knowing how important his opinion was to the younger boy, "even if she did, I'm sure she'd understand." He paused a little and let his thumb caress the back of Roxas' hand. Smiling, he saw how the blond relaxed at the touch and while watching the other's content face, the red head once again thought about how extremely lucky he'd been. He still could not believe entirely that the boy was here with him and that they were in fact in a relationship. Ever since the first time he had laid his eyes on the kid, or rather bumped into him, Axel had found himself strangely captivated by the younger teenager. He remembered exactly how the blond had looked that day, and smirking slightly, the red head recalled the picture of Roxas' flushed face and big, somewhat shocked eyes. He'd swore he'd never seen a anything or anyone so cute in his life.

The boy's bright blue eyes and his golden hair had made Axel think of an angel, and he had practically been blinded by the light that according to him, seemed to radiate from the blond.

Therefore, the name 'Sunshine'.

Smiling affectionately, the flamboyant teen scooped said Sunshine into his arms. Roxas gave a little, surprised yelp at first, but when he's settled comfortably in the other's lap, he let his head fall against the firm torso he was offered. Axel gave a content purr and inhaled the scent he associated with the smaller teen. He could not quite place it, but it reminded him of pineapple. He suspected that Roxas used a conditioner with that scent.

Nuzzling his face in the soft, spiky locks, he murmured, "I'm sure it'll be okay Roxas. Your mother seems very understanding. Just think about how she reacted to Riku's confessions." He planted a kiss atop of Roxas' head, "and she definitely loves you."

_As do I._

Sighing, Roxas let Axel's hands caress his shoulders. It felt really good and he could not prevent his eyes from slipping closed. The soft, massaging movements of the red head's hands upon his tense muscles, soon had him relaxing further and he found himself resting heavily against the older teen's warm body. So much had happened lately and it was fair to say that this had been one of the most turbulent weeks of his entire life.

This sort of comfort was all he really needed right now, and the blond was grateful that the red head appeared to have noticed. Axel, despite being pretty heedless sometimes, sure knew what he wanted and when he wanted it. With a fain blush, the blond remembered just how well the red head knew this and his mind traveled back to the previous day and the events that had taken place on the exact same couch as they were currently settled on. He has still not gotten fully over the fact that he had almost— He smacked his head mentally. He was so not having this conversation with himself right now!

They sat in silence for some time, just enjoying each other's presence. Then, after a while, Roxas cracked an eye open.

"Axel?"

The red head lifted his head a little as the blond teen shifted in his lap. "Yeah?"

Gazing up at him, Roxas gave a faint smile before leaning up to give him a small peck on the lips. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"And..." He paused for quite a while before finishing. "I love you too."

He chuckled before adding, "right now."

Axel almost had a stroke.

* * *

Mrs. Kitamura had never seen Kairi this upset. She knew the auburn haired girl like she knew her own sons, and cared for her almost just as much, so seeing her otherwise beautiful face like this made Tanka's heart twinge. The girl's eyes were rimmed with unshed tears and her skin was paler than Mrs. Kitamura could recall to have ever seen it. The dark haired woman was currently guiding the smaller female from the grocery store, towards the safety of her car. Once they were sitting inside, she placed an arm around the younger girl's shoulders and a hand under her chin. Looking into Kairi's bright, indigo eyes, now glazed with tears, Tanka furrowed her brows faintly. She thought she might know the reason for Kairi's obvious sadness. 

"Kairi, this hasn't by any chance got something to do with my son?" Kairi just whimpered and buried her head into the dark haired woman's chest.

"And another one of your best friends?" The auburn haired girl continued to cry and Mrs. Kitamura knew she'd found the right spot.

Sighing, she raked her hand through the girl's silky tresses. This was not an unfamiliar position. She was used to taking care of people and her warm-hearted nature allowed her to open her arms to anyone in need for a shoulder to cry on.

It felt good to have someone to comfort. Now that her kids had gotten this old, they had also become more reserved and it was not often she was allowed to actually hold them this way, unless something pretty bad had happened. Biting her lip, she recalled that the last time she'd held one of her sons like this, it had been when Sora was in the hospital and she and Roxas was waiting for the nurse.

Earlier that day, she had been the one receiving the same comfort. From none other than Riku, Sora's best friend. Tanka remembered how she'd let herself fall against him and just let him support her. Riku had always, though he was Sora's best friend and she considered him a kid just like her son, been a nice person to talk to and she had often appreciated their conversations. She somehow considered the silver haired teen an equal at some points. He was mature for his age and had plenty of interesting opinions. Therefore, Tanka had always enjoyed discussing things with him and she often asked him about what he had to say in certain matters.

She guessed he had always been one of her darling angels.

Now, it seemed the silver haired teen was partly the reason why her other angel was dissolved in tears and that thought made Tanka feel even more sorry for the auburn haired girl. Rubbing the shaking girl's back, Mrs. Kitamura wished she could do something to make her feel better. She cared deeply about Kairi and seeing her like this made Tanka want to punish someone. And that said something, judging by her usual harmless personality. Kairi had been like a daughter to her almost before she could walk!

Cloud and Kairi's brother Reno was in the same swimming-group at the age of five and Mrs. Kitamura had often been babysitting the two of them when they were younger. Therefore, she'd been thrilled when Greena, Kairi's mother found out she was pregnant only about a month before Tanka herself gave birth to her twins, Sora and Roxas. I her eyes, their kids were bound to become friends.

Interrupting her trail of thoughts, Kairi slowly, but surely started to unlatch herself from the older woman's grip. Sniffling, the auburn haired girl let go of her shirt and pulled back, wiping her eyes. She looked better now, Tanka thought. At least, she had gained some color and her expression was one of relief instead of pure agony. Smiling shakily, Kairi reached out and grabbed Tanka's hand.

"Thank you Mrs. Kitamura."

"Tanka", the dark haired female squeezed the auburn haired girl's smaller hand, "You make me feel so old when you call me Mrs." She chuckled faintly, and with glee she thought she saw the ghost of a smile ascending on the girl's pale lips. "Besides," she continued, now determined to evoke that smile once more, "you haven't been calling me Mrs, since you were about three. You used to refer to me as 'The cookie-woman', remember?"

Kairi actually made an attempt to laugh, but ended up choking instead. Grinning, Tanka lifted her hand and brushed away loose strains of hair from the smaller girl's face. "There we go Sweetheart." She took some time to gaze at her, before she spoke up again. "Do you feel better now?"

Nodding slowly, Kairi cleared her throat. "Yes. I do actually. Thanks again." She paused a little, blinking away the remains of tears that still clung to her lashes. Tanka watched her with a small smile on her lips, genuinely happy that the girl had found some kind of solace in her. After a few moments of silence, Kairi shook her head a little and met Tanka's eyes.

"You were right you know?" She bit her lip thoughtfully and her eyes ascended to her lap once more. "This has to do with Sora and Riku."

The inhaled deeply before continuing.

"I don't really know why I reacted this way. I mean, I do not have a problem with them..." she trailed off, fidgeting with her t-shirt. It was clearly hard for her to pronounce the words.

"...dating." She closed her eyes briefly and swallowed thickly.

"I guessed I just never saw it coming. It happened right before my eyes and yet, I never noticed! I had absolutely no clue! I know it might be selfish of me to think like this, but I just—" she sniffled , "I feel left out."

She stooped her head. "Yeah, I do. I feel like they've kept something from me. And even though it's a horrible thing to feel, I just wish I could be a part of it." She shook her head sadly. "But I can't."

"They are my best friends in the whole world and now they have something in common that I can never become a part of. They share something I can only dream of understanding and I am so afraid I might lose them!" Her tears started to pour down her cheeks again and she made no effort to stop them.

"What if they find me less important? I can't stand the thought of that. Without them, I have nothing. At least, no best friends," she admitted.

"Kairi," Tanka's voice was soft and her eyes reflected the emotions in it. "Sora and Riku loves you. They would never abandon you, not even for each other. The three of you are inseparable and nothing is ever going to change that. Trust me, I've had friends like them, and I still do. They stick with you no matter what." She stretched out and gently ran her fingers across the auburn haired girl's cheek.

"It'll work out, I promise you that. Once you've all adjusted to the changes, it'll be just fine."

Smiling, she remembered a quote her husband used all the time when he was still alive and almost to herself, she uttered it in a soft, nearly whispering tone.

"Changes are good. You never know what they might bring, but isn't that what makes life exciting?" It was almost as if she could hear Herold's voice, and in her mind, she saw a set of sparkling, sapphire-eyes shining at her.

"Changes comes every spring, but the result is always summer. And that's something to cherish, right?"

* * *

**A/N:** So, there it is! I really hope you like it, and please point it out if you find severe mistakes somewhere! -Grins- You guys are all so awsome! Don't be afraid of reviewing!! I love reviews, even if they're just a word!! Thank you for being so supportive! 

I liked getting to know Mrs. Kitamura and I hope you did too!! I am already writing the next chapter and there will be more AkuRoku there! What happened after the confession? Dun-dun-duuuun! -Dramatical, medieval choir music-


	31. Chapter 31

**Warnings:** Yaoi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...

**A/N:** Chapter 31 is up! I am very happy about this chapter and even though it might be full of clichés, I like it. And I hope you do too! You guys are great and do not be afraid of reviewing, because it makes me really happy!

Now, read!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Thirty One_

_"Love"_

_-_

Riku could not believe it.

He was officially Sora's boyfriend.

He was completely absent as he wandered into the living room, greeted his mom and dad and continued to his bedroom. As he walked up the stairs, he shook his head several times and had to pinch his arm to find that he was still there and not dreaming. It was all so surreal.

He had waited for years for this day it seemed, yet the whole ting felt extremely out of this world.

The word felt foreign on his tongue when he uttered it disbelievingly to himself. The fact that his parents was perfectly capable of hearing him, seeing as he was currently entering his house, did not bother him at all.  
Actually, he did not even consider it. All he could think of was the absurd idea of him and Sora actually going out.

He was dating Sora! Sora, his best friend! They were actually together! He almost laughed.  
Who could have guessed this would happen a year ago?  
No one! At least not he or Sora!

They'd once promised each other that they'd stay friends forever, but that was a long time ago now.  
Things had changed. Something new was born in between them.  
Something stronger, deeper and more meaningful than he had ever been a part of.

_Love. _

* * *

"I think I've seen this one before too!" Axel exclaimed disappointedly and threw the DVD on the floor, eliciting an amused chuckle from Roxas.  
They had been trying to figure out what movie they were going to watch for about an hour, but the red head seemed to have seen every single one.  
Grinning, the blond leaned back into the couch and smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. 

"Seems we just have to rent one then. Or watch TV." He knew those words would cause some kind of reaction from the red headed teen and quite right; only seconds after he'd said it, Axel turned to watch him with a look of utter disgust.

"TV?! Hell no!" He continued gazing at the blond as if he'd just eaten a worm or something equally nasty. "That's just a no-no Roxie!"  
He scratched the back of his head a little, his expression softening faintly.

"Besides, what were we supposed to watch then? Some icky Soap?" A chill ran down the blond's spine as he remembered his mother's favorite soap. I had been going for years, and never really seemed to end.

Axel apparently caught his reaction and nodded his head shortly. "Exactly."

Sighing, the blond shifted on the couch and placed his head upon the armrest. There, he let his eyes slip closed. "Well, then I have no idea..."

His mother had yet to return from the grocery shop, and Roxas thought she was probably visiting Sora in the hospital. She'd mentioned it earlier that day, so it wasn't really that hard to imagine.

He suddenly felt a weight shift on the couch and cracked one eye open just to find Axel sitting beside him, now completely ridden of his earlier upset expression. The red head was simply watching him with a small smile playing in the corner of his mouth. Raising a curious brow, the blond gazed back at him. "What?"

Axel quickly shook his head, dark, red bangs fluttering around his face. "Nothing."

Roxas shrugged and closed his eyes once more. "Okay. Whatever."

As the seconds went by in silence, Roxas tried to remembered when he's gotten so relaxed and content around the red head.  
Before, he would have never dared to let his guard down like this, but now, it seemed perfectly natural. He had grown very accustomed to having Axel around all the time and now, he never once felt embarrassed about things the said or did in the red head's presence. It had happened fast, and somehow, Roxas knew they were on the verge of something. Something larger than what they were currently sharing. With a soft smile, he recalled Axel's earlier words;

"_I think I love you right now!" _

He knew they had been pronounced in a moment of happiness, yet he felt like the red head had really meant them, just as he knew he meant what he'd replied much later. He loved Axel. He really did. His smile widened. Ever since he was a kid, he'd been somewhat scared of what love really meant and he'd always thought of it as some great, undefinable force that would turn your entire world upside down in second.

Even though he had to admit that his world had in deed been roughly shaken, he could not refrain from thinking that love was in fact much easier than he'd thought it would be. There had been no severe upheaval brought by love, nor had he felt like he'd seen the light or anything. The realization had simply hit him earlier that day, and he'd known he was in love.

That's how simple it was.

The lack of greatness had really surprised him, but he was, however just fine with the way things were. He loved Axel and that was all that mattered.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by an amused voice to his right. "What on earth are you grinning about?"

Opening his eyes, Roxas smirked mischievously at the red head. "You."

Axel was with him at once, raising both eyebrows. "Really?"

The blond nodded. "Yep."

Growling teasingly, the red head scooted closer and reached out to place a hand behind Roxas' neck.

"I'm gonna have to make you pay for that then."

He leaned in and made their noses brush. "Traitor..."

* * *

When Riku pulled off his shirt and sauntered off to bed, he once again whispered the word 'boyfriend' out in the dark. He had yet to settle with the situation, but he knew that this was all he could ever have hoped for. All he wanted. 

Smiling, he slipped between the covers and nuzzled into the sheets. This had been a rough day. They had told Kairi about their relationship and obviously, the auburn hared girl had gotten hurt by the fact that her two best friends were together. Sighing, the silver haired teen closed his eyes and the smile disappeared from his face. They had to do something about that.

Kairi needed to understand that the two of them would never ever abandon her. They would stay by her side forever, no matter what.

Riku loved Kairi as if she was his own sister. In fact, he suspected she was one of the persons he cared most about in the whole world. More than his parents even.

Sora might be the only one he had deeper feelings for that her. Well, different kind of feelings at least. He loved Kairi, but he was _in love_ with Sora. Yet, he would never let his love for the brunet come between him and the auburn haired girl. Not even if Sora told him to choose between them. (Somehow he found that highly unbelievable.)

Kairi had done more for him than he could ever thank her for. She had been there ever since he was a kid and never had she left his side.

When he and Sora was fighting, Kairi had been the only person keeping him somewhat sane and she never took anyone's side. She was just there. Supporting both of them when she had the chance. He assumed he could never really repay her.

He had sworn to at least always stay by her side. He owed her that much.

Besides, Riku did not think he could let go of her either.

In a way, she was just as important to him as Sora.

Sora...

Once again he had to silently remind himself that he had a boyfriend. And that that boyfriend was Sora.

Sora!

Riku almost rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. He was acting like a lovesick teenage girl, but he really could not help it. This was actually happening. He was dating Sora!

Somehow, he thought he would never really get used to it.

* * *

"Kiss me!" 

"Why?"

"Because I want you to!"

"So?"

"...Please?"

"Maybe later. If you're nice."

"No! Now!"

"Why? If you can't give me a good reason I won't do it."

"Argh!"

"That's not a reason."

"Stop being an idiot! Do it!"

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Yes?"

"Because I love you?"

"..."

"..."

"I love you too Demyx. Now come here."

* * *

Axel's hand entangled in the blond's soft spikes and groaning faintly, the older teen bent Roxas' head back and proceeded devouring his mouth. The kiss was slow at first, but soon it turned fiercer, more passionate. The battle of their tongues seemed never ending and both of them felt their heads spin at the heat that was poured into their actions. 

Kissing the younger teen like this made Axel's spine all mushy and he thought he was going to lose it if they continued for much longer. Nibbling at the blond's lower lip, he let his hands trail up Roxa's sides, feeling how his lither form shivered in response. Smiling into the kiss, Axel decided to experiment a little with the younger male.

He already knew he was able to affect the blond, but he wanted to know if he could gain a heavier sort of reaction from him. Almost laughing at his own, clouded thoughts of conspiracy, the red head pulled slightly away from the kiss and leaned down to suck and lick at the blond's neck. Catching the sound of Roxas' inhaling sharply, he knew he'd already found his answer. Though, he was not ready to leave the subject of affecting Roxas just yet.

As he continued biting tenderly on the other boy's pale, soft skin, Axel's hand traveled down his stomach and ended up gliding over his thigh. Roxas stiffened almost immediately, but Axel knew it was simply from surprise and he was determined not to let the reaction stop him. He was not going to back away before Roxas actually asked him to, and somewhere in his mind, a voice told him that the blond would probably never do that.  
Not capable of holding back the quiet moan that escaped him, the red head moved his hand up the lither teen's thigh and when he started to knead it rhythmically, he noticed how Roxas' started to squirm beside him. At this, Axel felt how his chest fluttered happily and he was suddenly overcome with need to kiss the blond.  
Moving away from his neck, Axel used his free hand to tug Roxas's head closer.  
Just before their lips brushed, the red head placed a hand under the blond's chin and forced him to look at him.  
Roxas' bright eyes were half-lidded and they were glazed with something Axel could only define as lust.  
Breathing heavily, the red head realized he was not able to focus properly and biting his lip, he brought his mind back from wherever it had been hiding and found his voice.

"Roxas—" he was cut off by the feeling of warm lips covering his.

Gasping, the red head gripped Roxas' thigh firmer, eliciting a breathless moan from the younger boy.  
The sensations that ran through his body at that precise moment, were so extensive that they made him lose his head completely and his self control was slowly, but surely ebbing away.  
This was a battle he was not going to win, and quite frankly, Axel could not care less.

The kiss deepened and soon, they were both totally dedicated to the taste, feel and smell of each other.  
Closing his eyes briefly, Axel slid his hand up and down the blond's inner-thigh and once again, Roxas grew impossibly wiry.  
It was almost as if he was awaiting for something significant to happen and in a way, Axel thought, he was right about that. Distracting the blond by plunging his tongue farther inside his mouth, the red head moved his hand so it was only centimeters from the younger teen's crotch.  
Then, without hesitation, he brushed the obvious bulge there and with enormous glee, he felt how Roxas arched his hip at the brief contact as a throaty moan tore it's way from him. Could he get any sexier?

The red head was amazed with the way the younger teen seemed to trust him completely and feeling the slightest bit touched by this, he let go of the blond's lips and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I love you." The words came naturally and there was nothing forced about them. Knowing he meant every single syllable, the red head let his tongue dart out and lick a sensitive earlobe, before repeating them. "I love you Sunshine."

Roxas was not able to reply, as Axel's hand was currently cupping him through his trousers. All he managed to do was gripping the red head's shirt desperately, fighting the urge to scream in pleasure. This was more intense than anything he's ever experienced and he was sure that if he tried to speak now, nothing but guttural growls would come out. Therefore, he just tugged the red head closer and brought his mouth to his neck.  
Axel groaned heatedly when he started coating the white skin there with saliva and Roxas felt how the hand on his groin tighten.  
That alone was enough to make him bite down hard on the warm, milky flesh, which in return had Axel wincing in pain.  
He had no time to reflect upon that however as the red head proceeded putting pressure on the spot between his legs and he soon found himself aching for further contact.

He supposed he should be feeling a little ashamed, but his mind was too far gone at the moment, so all he was able to think was that they should at least move to a safer area. The couch had been used enough as it was.

Trembling, he removed his mouth from the red head's neck, making Axel groan disappointedly. He was silenced however, with a quick kiss.

"Upstairs." The word was barely audible, but Axel did not have to be told twice. (For the first time in his life probably.)

With a strength the blond was unaware his partner had, the red head stood from the couch and scooped the blond up in his arms.

They barely made it up the stairs and when Roxas' bedroom door slammed shut, the blond only had time to confirm that the curtains were closed, before he found himself pinned against the wall by a very aroused Axel.

Without thinking, he latched his arms around the red head's neck and suddenly he was swept off of his feet and pushed firmer against the plumb surface. Heaving for oxygen, Roxas' wrapped his legs mindlessly around the older teen's hips and as firework went off in his head, their groins were pressed together.

He was no longer capable of keeping silent.

As Axel pushed up against him, all kinds of desperate sounds escaped him. Sounds he's never heard himself utter and was not even aware he could make. This, he found oddly fascinating, but he had no real time to muse upon it as he was all but distracted by a certain red head and the ministrations he preformed to his body.

_God! This feels so damn good!_

At first, there was no real rhythm, just spastic motions of hips, then as they kept going, they formed a hard, fast pace. A pace that drove the blond insane. Clutching the red head's shoulders, Roxas buried his head in the crook of his neck and shut his eyes tightly.  
The pleasure he was feeling at that moment was simply too strong. To overwhelming.  
He was in the middle of a screaming inferno of flames and the heat that was pooling in his lower belly nearly caused him to faint.  
He had never in his entire life felt like this and even though he'd found release before, it was nothing compared to this. This was heaven in comparison.

He supposed it had all happened too fast, but he was not in a position to complain right now. He was far beyond all borders at the moment and had it not been for the fact that he could feel the hard, unmoving wall against his back, he would have though it was a dream. Everything else was blurry and he gasped for air as new waves of pleasure shot through him.

Rocking his hips harder against the red head's, Roxas' let his mouth open and pressed his face firmer to the clothed shoulder. This was not going to last for much longer.

This felt so extremely right and although they could probably have found a much more comfortable place to preform their actions, the blond would not have wanted it any other way. This, he was ready for and now, when he was right in the middle of it all, Roxas knew he was doing the right thing. This was Axel, the one he loved. Axel was doing this to him and that though alone was enough to send him over the edge.

Grasping Axel as he was his last hope, he felt his world begin to shatter and when the red head gave one, final, weighty trust, his mind and body exploded with white, hot pleasure.

He heard his own scream mingle with Axel's hoarse one, and through the haze, he felt the wetness in his now soiled pants. His head was still resting upon the red head's shoulder and breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and soared through the last leavings of his orgasm.

That had been amazing.

_And, uhm... fast?_

* * *

"So... Do you think you'll ever love anyone again?" Cloud's voice was hushed, almost a whisper and the blond's bright, blue eyes were fixed upon the stoic brunet underneath him. Moving his hand up the other's firm, naked chest, Cloud stopped to gently slide his finger along a strong collar bone. 

Still waiting for a reply, he lowered his head and trailed butterfly kisses down towards his lovers belly. The skin below his mouth was hot. Burning. And it almost seemed to vibrate beneath his touch. Feeling how Leon tensed, he smiled faintly.

Despite his sometimes rather embedded personality, the brunet was easy to read sometimes.

"I—," again, the blond smirked at the obvious emotion in the brunet's voice. "I don't know Cloud."

Slithering up again, so that their torsos were pressed flush together, the blond leaned down and captured Leon's lips. When he pulled away, he proceeded cupping the other man's cheek and gazed into a pair of stormy, gray eyes.

"Well," he drew delicate patterns upon the perfect, tanned skin in Leon's face, "If you ever find that you can," he paused a little, eyes serious, "I'll be waiting."

* * *

**A/N:** Awww... ::Blushes:: 


	32. Chapter 32

**Warnings:** Oh, screw it! You all should know what there is to be worried about by now!!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine obviously...

**A/N:** So... -Sniffle- This is the final chapter of Shifting Roads! Can you believe it? I most certainly can't!

Really, writing this has been such a great experience!  
I am completely thrilled with the amount of reviews I have achieved for this story! And to think that I was almost dying from nervousness when I posted the first chapter!  
It's completely surreal!

Thanks to this story, I have met a load of wonderful people, I have improved my english a LOT, and I have gained much more confidence in my writing abilities!  
You guys just have to know what an awsome help you have all been and that I apprecciate so MUCH all the reviews!

I'm a bit sad to see this one go, but hey... It would have been kinda' pathethic to keep it going forever! -Laughs-

Anyway, please sit back and enjoy the thirty-second chapter of Shifting Roads!

* * *

**Shifting Roads**

_Chapter Thirty-Two_

_"The Spying shall End"_

_-_

The year had been, to say at least, eventful. Actually, it was fair to say that it had been the most lavishing year the blond had ever experienced.

Things had changed, paths had been renewed, roads had shifted and nothing was ever going to go back to the way the were.

As Roxas entered Destiny High on the last day of school, early in June, the blond could not refrain from thinking those thoughts.  
The past eight months had been completely surreal in a way, but they had also brought more happiness and luck than he had ever before experienced. Whistling a happy tune as he sauntered up the stairs leading to the entrance, he hooked his backpack firmer around his shoulder.

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with a very melancholic feeling and to his surprise, his mood dropped several levels.

This was his last day of freshman year.

It had gone by so incredibly fast!

He remembered the first time he had entered through those big, double doors. That seemed such a long time ago, so far away.

His life had changed nearly to the extreme since then. He had a boyfriend now, a bunch of new companions, a job at the local petshop (where indeed Blabber had been living all those years ago) and he had turned seventeen!

_Man!_

He felt older, happier and much safer now than he had done back then and somehow, he felt like his life had achieved some kind of greater meaning in the past couple of months. But, boy had it all gone fast!

Swallowing timidly, he bit his lower lip and stopped right in front of the door. As he gazed at it, his mind drifted back to the first time he met Axel and a smile appeared in his face. Grinning like an idiot, he remembered how he had, due to Sora's ruthless pushing, fallen backwards and thereby collided with the red head. His life had without doubt changed enormously that day and to think that it was all because of a little -actually it was rather hard, he thought- push!

He shook his head to himself. Life surely was a mystery.

"Hey Roxas!"

A voice he recognized as Demyx's came soaring at him from behind.

When turning to greet the musician, he was not surprised to find a certain lilac haired teen standing at the blond's side. Demyx and Zexion had, ever since the time they had first gotten together, stayed with each other like Siamese twins and Roxas nearly giggled as he remembered exactly _how_ they had first gotten together.

_Demyx's infamous party!_

_Loads of things happened there!_

_And to think that's eight months ago already?!_

"Hello there Demyx. Zexion. What's up?"

"Ah," the sandy-haired teen gave a small sigh, "nothing much. Just glad school's about to end for the summer."

At his side, Zexion nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. That's rather awesome really."

"What about you Rox? You happy about the vacation, or are you sad that we won't get to see the insides of our beloved school for the entire summer?"

"Oh yeah," the blond replied sarcastically, "I'm actually contemplating about whether to hide away in a cupboard at the end of the day."

The three of them laughed.

"What's so funny?"

Hayner came up beside Roxas and with him he'd brought Olette and Pence, the latter two lost in a deep conversation. Apparently, Olette was currently telling the slightly chubby teen about her plans for the vacation. Something about white shores and crowded beaches.

Roxas grinned at his best friend and stuck his tongue out teasingly. "You are." He had always loved to make fun of the brown eyed teen, just as much as Hayner himself enjoyed returning the favor.

Hayner answered with a faint punch in the blond's shoulder and a small snort.

"Jackass."

Again, the group broke out in a fit of cheerful laughter.

* * *

"It's a boy!" Kairi's voice rung through the almost empty hallway. Empty except from two other figures in the opposite end of the corridor. Both of their heads snapping up at the sound of her scream. 

"What?" The smaller of them shrieked and lifted his hand to cup his ear excessively.

The auburn haired girl fought the urge to roll her eyes at his ministrations. "A boy! Tifa's given birth to a boy!"

Her face shone with a big, brilliant smile and her deep, indigo eyes sparkled with glee. Bouncing a few meters before she broke into a sprint, she coursed towards the two males who stood there waiting for her.

Laughing as she ran, she took in the way their hands were firmly clasped as usual and her grin widened, if possible, even more.

Once she reached them, Kairi flung herself in between them and tugged them both close. Still giggling happily, she inhaled deeply before speaking up once more.

"They're gonna name him Zack!"

She pulled away and now, tears glimmered in her eyes.

"Can you believe it? I'm officially an aunt!"

Riku grinned at her. "Sure we can." He ruffled her hair affectionately, eliciting a surprised whine from the red head, "auntie Kairi. Don't you just love the sound of that Sora?"

The young, spiky haired boy at his side nodded his head in excitement and proceeded placing a hand on the beaming girl's shoulder.

"That's awesome, Kai!" He chirped happily. "You'll be the best aunt ever!"

"So they're gonna call him Zack, huh?" Riku raised two curious, eyebrows at her, "why?"

"Well," the red head shrugged, "I don't really know. Something about a guy Reno and Cloud knew when they were kids. It was Reno who insisted." She pursed her lip thoughtfully. "It sounds so familiar, but..."

Both hers and Rikus eyes traveled to Sora, as I to ask him if he knew anything. Cloud was his brother after all.

"Oh..." The brunet frowned a little as he caught up. Biting his lip he dropped his gaze to the floor and in seconds he was lost in thoughts. The two other teens waited silently for the brunet to come around and suddenly he lifted his head rapidly.

"I remember!"

Glancing up at Riku, he scratched the back of his head.

"Do you recall the whole shooting accident downtown ten years ago?"

Riku forrowed his brows. "Yeah... Yeah I remember. We were about six. Seven?"

"Five." Sora replied and grinned at the glare the older teen shot him.

"Anyway," he continued, "do you remember the kid who got shot? His name was Zack. Zack Fair I believe. He and Cloud were friends."

"I remember that! He died!" Kairi's voice was high pitched and her mouth hung slightly open. "I had completely forgotten about that! Guess they really hushed it down back then?" She flicked some of her hair behind her ear. "Reno once brought him over. Apparently, he was an orphan, or had been..." she trailed off, her gaze slightly losing focus. "He had an awful lot of hair. Black, if I'm not mistaking."

"Yes!" Sora piped up, "Reno and Cloud used to bicker all the time about which one of them would spend the most time with him!"

He smiled softly. "I recall Cloud always won and Reno was awfully pissed about it." He laughed, "although, Zack and your brother often teased him. I think Zack acted as a result of bad conscience."

Kairi's smile vanished slowly and her face was left faintly doleful. "Reno was completely devastated."

"I can't believe we actually forgot about that." Sora shook his head disbelievingly, "Cloud was broken too."

They stood there without speaking for some time and nothing but the occasional footsteps of bypassing students broke the silence. After what seemed like minutes, Riku cleared his throat.

"It's a really nice gesture though," he gazed softly at Kairi, "naming the baby after him. I'm sure he would've been really happy about that."

The auburn haired girl nodded. "Yes, I think so too."

All of a sudden, the bell signalizing mid-day rang and as the sound echoed through the corridors, Kairi gasped loudly and flailed her arms in a very Demyx-like matter.

"Eeep!" She yelped.

"I am supposed to meet Naminé at the bus stop now! Sorry! Got to run, or else we'll miss the film! She has been talking about this movie ever since they started showing the trailer on TV! Maybe you've heard of it? It's called "The Empress" and it's a new film by—"

She was abruptly cut off as Riku placed a firm hand over her mouth. Chuckling, the silver haired teen shook his head rapidly. "Hey! Quit rambling and get going! You can tell us about it later. Now go!" Still smiling, he let go of her and with a sheepish grin and a wave, she was gone.

"She is so dense sometimes." Came Sora's breathy voice.

At this, Riku raised a slender brow and a sly smirk manifested itself on his lips.

Painfully slowly, he turned his head towards the younger boy, whom was still busy staring down the hall to where Kairi had disappeared.

"Dense?" The word came out almost a whisper and even Sora could not avoid hearing the small quiver in his boyfriend's voice.

Wrinkling his brows, the blue eyed boy caught said boyfriend's gaze.

Riku evidently had problem with keeping his face in serious folds. He kept swallowing and his mouth was nothing but a thin, sharp line. His Adam-apple kept moving and he was clenching his jaws so tightly that Sora was impressed that his teeth did not crunch.

_That's odd?_

However, just as he uttered the thought to himself, a switch was being turned on inside is head and he was filled with a haunting suspicion that said that the silver haired teen's odd behavior had something to do with himself.

Therefore, he started racking his brain for possible reasons.

When realization hit him however, his eyes narrowed and inhaling deeply, he shot the silver haired teen an intense glare.

"Bastard!"

Riku laughed heartily. "Took you a while, didn't it?"

Sora attempted to scowl. "Shut it."

"Nah Sora," the older teen turned solemn, "I'm just joking. " He paused a little, chewing on his cheek. "Well, at least partly." The smaller boy growled a not so decent reply.

Chuckling at his boyfriends behavior, Riku ran a hand through Sora's brown tresses. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to the lither teen's lips and when he pulled away, a warm smile grazed his features.

"I don't care how dense you can possibly be Sora. I wouldn't change you for the world."

The brunet immediately melted and his sour look vanished in a flash. Grinning widely, hisazure orbs glimmering with happiness, Sora's eyeslocked with turquoise ones. "I love you so much!"

Riku laughed softly and shook his head a bit. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we?"

At his comment, the brunet pursed his lips faintly and the older teen knew exactly what was about to happen. "Hey! No pouting!" The smaller teen's expression froze and Riku could not refrain from laughing.

"I'm only joking Sora." His voice softened until it was merely above a murmur. "You have no idea how I feel when hearing those words coming from you." He paused to gaze at the other teen. "I love you too Sora. More than anything. I—"

He got no further, as a pair of warm, determined lips ascended upon his and pulled him into a flurry of passion. Even though they had been together for almost eight months now, the silver haired teen could not help the fact that his stomach fluttered painfully each and every time he kissed he brunet. Sora had just the same influence over him now, as he'd had the first months of their relationship. Riku knew he was whipped. Completely. He was head over heals in love with the boy and his affection seemed to grow each day.

It was fair to say that the two of them had gone through some complications in the early beginning of their relationship. Not only had it it been pretty hard to tell everyone about their newfound love, including Riku's parents, they'd had to come to terms with it themselves.

Surely, it had not been all that easy. Going from bestfriends to boyfriends all of a sudden brought along a tsunami of upheavals with it and they'd had to deal with a lot of different emotions.

At first, they had both been rather shy and fumbling, but as their feelings clarified themselves, the couple more or less settled with their new situation. The weirdest thing was perhaps engaging in sexual action. It had taken a rather big amount of time before either of them could partake in such activities, or encourage it at all.

Riku remembered how many times they had been close to doing things during the early phases of their relationship, but each time they had pulled away, both extremely flustered and abashed.

However, when they ha finally managed to get to the top of that hill, it had been heaven and Riku swore he had never in his lifetime experienced something bigger.

Feeling how his chest swelled at the memory, Riku remembered the first time the brunet had told him he loved him. He had just gotten out from the hospital and they had been lying sprawled out on Sora's bed. They had kissed then, and Riku's guts still stirred when he thought about it. Sora had suddenly flipped him over and straddled his lap. Bending down, he'd placed a soft kiss on the aqua eyed teen's nose. Then, he had uttered the words Riku never got tired of hearing.

His love for Sora definitely had not faded.

When they broke apart, Sora inhaled deeply and shot him a solemn look. "I know you do. Now please, can we go to a place more private?"

Riku smirked. "As you wish Shortstuff."

This time, there was nothing stopping the pout coming from Sora.

* * *

When the bell rang, Roxas said goodbye to Naminé and went to meet up with Axel. 

The petite blonde and he had stuck together all though the year and their friendship had blossomed profoundly. She had grown to become a very important friend of his and beside Hayner, he easily placed her among his best companions.

Naminé had never lost her kind, peaceful personality, although she had become more outgoing and perhaps even a little rougher than she'd been when he first met her.

Smiling as he thought of the good natured girl, the blond teen made his way to the reception in the giant entrance hall. He was just rounding the corner when he almost bumped into someone. Said someone being none other than his notorious English teacher and extended family member, Squall Leonheart.

"Ah! Sorry Mr. Leonheart, I really did not pay attention to where I was going."

The stoic brunet raised his hand. "It's all right Roxas." He gave a reassuring nod, "are you happy school is over?"

Roxas smiled at the man he had grown more than just a little fond of in the past few months. Leon had really made his brother Cloud happy and the two of them seemed to complete each other in a way no one else managed to. They had come out with the truth about their relationship just before Christmas, even though everyone had practically been waiting for it to happen. Their affection for one another was really obvious.

"Well, I am happy about the vacation of course," he started reasonably, "but it'll be weird not coming here for a period of three whole months."

"I see." Leon ran a hand though his brown tresses. "Well, I better get going. " He gave the blond one of his quick, rare smiles.

"I'm driving your brother to the hospital."

Roxas furrowed his brows. "The hospital? Why?"

"Oh," the brunet replied smoothly, "don't worry, there's nothing wrong. Tifa has just given birth."

Roxas' jaw dropped. "What?! When?"

Leon raised an elegant, dark brow, "err... just now?"

The teen slapped himself mentally for showing that kind of stupidity, "oh, yeah. You said that!"

The older male actually sniggered, "yeah... Well, I'll see you later Roxas."

"Yep."

Leon strolled off, his chocolate hair wavering swiftly as he left.

He turned around to leave and once again he nearly ran into a person.

This time,however, he was more than happy about the outcome. Suddenly, he found himself locked in a tight, warming embrace, his vision clouded due to the bush of red hair that poked him in his face.

Laughing, he unlatched himself from who he assumed to be his boyfriend. And quite right. Axel was standing before him, his hair as spiky as ever, emerald eyes gleaming with delight.

"There you are Roxy! I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten about me." He faked a pout. "Those awful thoughts nearly broke my heart!" He placed a hand over his chest dramatically and threw his head back, twisting his face in what was probably to typify agony.

'Roxy' just rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you were really close to drop dead."

The red head huffed, seemingly hurt by his comment, but beamed at him the next second.

"Hey Sunshine! Guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm home alone this weekend!"

The blond gave a small snort. "Axel. So am I, you know that."

The red head looked all but confused. "Really?"

Roxas chuckled. "Well, yeah, I told you last week. Mom's going away again."

Axel smirked, "Mr. Highwind?"

The smaller teen nodded. "Indeed."

His mother had recently visited her old 'friend' Cid Highwind rather often and th two of them seemed to have something going on.

Both Roxas and Sora had asked her about it, but Tanka had just smiled mysteriously at them and told them that she'd let them know once everything was settled. The twins had accepted this and waited patiently for her to figure out the situation. It was, after all, the least they could do.

Roxas really wanted his mother to be happy and if this was her chance, then so be it.

"Then, we'll have loads of time to ourselves I suppose?" The red head licked his lips in a very suggesting manner and Roxas felt chills run down his spine.

Despite the fact that he and Axel had been going out for over eight months now, he never really got entirely used to being treated like that and it affected him in the same way each time.

Swallowing, he as well wet his lips and raised a hand to cup the older teen's cheek. Rising to his toes, the blond carefully brought their mouths together for a welcoming kiss.

They nibbled at each other's warm lips for some time before their tongues engaged in battle.

Pulling the red head closer, Roxas moaned faintly into the wet cavern of his mouth. Axel caught the sound and smirking, he fisted his hands in the shorter boy's golden spikes. The kiss went on and they did not break apart before the need for air became insufferable.

With a chesire grin, Axel took in his boyfriend's flushed features. "You reckon we'll need a couch then?"

Roxas laughed. "Suuuure!" He gave the red head a quick peck on the cheek, "that's an idea."

"Yeah, but it can't be at my house." The red head squirmed a little. "I can only imagine what would have happened if we spent the night on my couch!"

Roxas furrowed his brows slightly and Axel gave a sheepish grin. "Blabber."

Realization was beginning to dawn on Roxas.

"Can't you hear him? Once my parents come home from the South and happily enter the living room; _Axeeel, Roooooxas, soiled coooouch!_"

They both blurted out in laughter. The whole thing was just too easy to imagine.

"Nah, Roxie, I believe it's your couch that has to suffer once again." Axel ruffled his hair affectionately, "or, we could just make it to your room this time."

The blond leaned into the touch and purred. Axel's hand felt like some sort of soothing fire and it sent small jolts of excitement through his body. "I guess we could do that."

And with those words they sauntered off, hands clasped between them, leaving a trail of warm hilarity behind them.

When their laughter died out, a lonely figure stepped out of the shadows in the darkened corridor. A tattered cape blew swiftly in the sudden, ghostly wind as it turned to leave, followed by almost inaudible footsteps.

Mr. Valentine rolled his eyes.

"That's it. No more lurking in the shadows."

-Fin

* * *

**A/N:** There it is! It's over! -Gulps- OVER! Again; Thank you all so much for your support! It will forever be apprecciated! I hope you enjoyed this and that we shall review each other later in time! Until then; Say anora! 

Demyx: -Sniffle- It's done...

Na: -Cough- Yeah... -Sniffle-

Demyx: Well... I guess this is goodbye?

Na: -Raises brows- What?

Demyx: ... uh?

Na: -smirks slowly- Oh no. You're staying here with me. Didn't I tell you? We are going to have fun Dem! And I'm gonna rule your guts!

Demyx: OH GOOOOOD! SOMEONE HELP M-MMPPFF!! ...

_"The rest is silence."_


End file.
